


Two For The Road

by megsblackfire



Series: Reaping Dragons [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Dragons everywhere, Genderbending, Lady!Hanzo, Lady!Reaper, Lots of OCs - Freeform, Road Trips galore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2018-10-18 00:39:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 35,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10605684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsblackfire/pseuds/megsblackfire
Summary: It's been four years since Overwatch was disbanded. The world isn't any better without the organization and the ex-members have noticed. There isn't much they can do with the Petras Act in place and the dangerous Petras Units enforcing those laws. The most they can do is hold onto what they have and hope for a new future.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part three, everyone! Whoo!

Jesse McCree pressed his back against the stone wall of the gorge. His hand was resting on the grip of _Peacekeeper_ , but as he stared the eight bounty hunters down he knew he didn’t stand a chance. Even if he managed to Deadeye them, that would still leave two bastards to collect the “dead” part of his bounty.

He’d really fucked up this time.

Should have known better than to go chasing after beacons on the off chance it was the missing kids that had been reported in the area. No, no it couldn’t be a couple of lost teens huddled around their GPS in hopes of being found by Search and Rescue. It had to be god-damn bounty hunters hoping to catch the elusive Jesse McCree and turn him in for an outrageous amount of money.

Hanzo was going to kill him. Her dragons were going to kill him. He was going to be mulched up and stomped flat by everyone that ever knew him. He was supposed to be smarter than this but here he was about to be blasted full of holes because he chose to be stupid over being smart.

Damn his bleeding heart.

“Sorry Hanzo,” he murmured as he heard fast approaching hooves. No doubt that was even more back-up to make sure his slippery ass didn’t get away. “Guess I’m not making it to Nepal after all.”

He took a deep breath, focusing his attention into a singular point in preparation to Deadeye at least six of the bastards hoping to take him in. He was just about ready to draw _Peacekeeper_ when a brown horse came barrelling around the corner of the gorge. The rider’s golden scarf snapped back and forth in their hair as they reigned their horse in, reaching down to pull a familiar blue bow out of the case at their knee.

“Get DOWN, cowboy!” the rider shouted in a voice that made his stomach twist itself into knots. “ _Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau_!”

Jesse dropped to the ground as soon as he heard the familiar furious Japanese. He covered his head with his hands, breathing in the sun-baked dirt as he heard dual roars split the air. He felt the heat of the ethereal dragons’ passing overhead, exhaling in a startled whoosh as something hot and wet splattered against his face.

He counted to three before he cautiously lifted his head. All that remained of the eight bounty hunters were gooey piles of meat and bone. Kita and Minami had shredded them to pieces and barely left enough in their wake for identification purposes. He was very happy he had dropped to his belly; who knows how much damage those dragons could have done to him if they didn’t recognize him? Let’s face it; Jesse McCree did not look like the well-groomed Blackwatch agent he had been when they last saw him.

He got his feet under him and looked towards the rider. They were walking their horse in tight circles, working the fear out of the beast as it snorted and tossed its head. McCree was moving across the blood-soaked ground without looking at the mess, his eyes only for the woman in a white blouse and jeans.

“Hanzo,” he breathed as he reached up to grab the horse’s halter.

Familiar, piercing brown eyes regarded him affectionately as Hanzo reached for him. “Well, it’s your lucky day, isn’t it, cowboy?” she teased. “You would have been dead if I hadn’t come looking for you.”

“Hanzo,” he smiled before he boosted himself up into the saddle behind her.

He pressed his face into her hair, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and the heady scent of sweat and salt. The spiky end of her ponytail tickled his jaw and he reached up to cup her cheek. Thick columns of silver trailed out from her temples, streaking her black hair far beyond her age. High cheekbones greeted his fingers as he ran his hand over her face, refusing to move his face from her neck.

A soft sob escaped him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her up against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he rocked against her back. “I didn’t….”

“Oh, Jesse,” Hanzo clucked her tongue and cupped his cheek. “You foolish boy; I love you too.”

He let out a shaky laugh as he lifted his head as she turned the horse around. “What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“Looking for your sorry ass,” she replied with a familiar smirk. “You are not an easy man to track down, Mr. McCree.”

“Well, I’d have been dead a whole lot sooner if I was,” he laughed. “How long you been looking?”

“Almost four months,” she sighed. “I never realized how much work tracking someone down with connections like Blackwatch was until I had to start looking for you. Seriously, you triple-covered your ass!”

“I didn’t feel like dying,” he laughed a little louder. “And you found me eventually.”

“I did,” she agreed.

One hand settled over his and squeezed gently against the leather of his glove. He shifted closer to her, pressing himself against her back. He bathed in her presence, shivering in delight as her confidence washed over him. He barely noticed when the horse went from a slow walk to a trot as they climbed out of the gorge. He ran his nose along the length of Hanzo’s neck, smiling to himself as she shivered.

Four years. It had been four years since he had last seen the love of his life. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, just as full of life and dangerous and smart. She was here, with him, in the middle of New Mexico just a few miles off from where he was holed up for the time being.

“Was worried I’d never see you again,” he murmured into her ear.

“So was I,” Hanzo sighed. “The flowers you sent every year were beautiful, Jesse.”

“They made it?” he asked excitedly. “Thank Christ! I was so worried! I mean, I wanted to make sure you knew I loved you and still thought about you all the time, but I wasn’t sure how….”

She pressed a finger against his lips, leaning back in amusement so that her head was resting on his shoulder. She smiled up at him, a knowing smirk on her lips. The horse slowed down to a walk, snorting as its hooves kicked up dust from the sun-scorched earth.

“I know,” she crooned up at him. “Should let you know for future reference that I suck at keeping flowers alive.”

“So I just have to constantly replace them,” he shrugged as he leaned forward to kiss her. “Sounds like a fine deal to me.”

She let out a soft giggle and pulled away from him. “Good lord, Jesse; that beard is outrageous!” she said as she rubbed at her chin.

“You don’t like it?” he asked, his stomach plummeting.

He loved the shaggy beard he had grown. He’d never realized how handsome he was with it until he caught sight of himself a few months into his mad dash to avoid the authorities. He’d always kept the soul-patch under his lip because he thought it made him look younger and dashing, but damn if he didn’t look absolutely amazing with a full beard.

“I love it,” she soothed as she urged the horse back into a trot. “It’s just going to take some getting used to. I forgot how hairy you were.”

“Hey,” he pouted. “This is all American wild man here, darlin’.”

“Did you hear me saying that was a bad thing?” she asked as she turned to look at him. “I _missed_ my hairy cowboy.”

He grinned sheepishly before he cleared his throat. “Uh, left turn here,” he coughed.

“I know where your rustic little cabin is,” Hanzo smirked as she gently pulled on the reins to make the horse turn. “It was the first place I looked for you.”

“You found it?” he asked in surprise.

“Yes, I did; what, you think I came all the way out here on one horse and no supplies?” she laughed. “I’m not that useless, Jesse.”

“Hey now, don’t go puttin’ words in my mouth,” Jesse scolded as they started the trek up to the cabin he had tucked away in the stubby little copse of trees. “I know for a fact that you are a very resourceful woman and damn smart too.”

“Aw, you’re going to make me blush,” she teased as she stopped the horse in front of the house and dismounted.

She wavered where she stood, gripping the saddle horn as all the colour drained from her face. Jesse dismounted quickly, steadying her as he tipped her chin up towards him. Her pupils were dilated a little and she looked ready to pass out.

“Hey, head inside; I’ll look after Brownie here,” he soothed.

“Hodor,” Hanzo smirked as she patted the horse’s shoulder. “His name’s Hodor.”

“Well, Hodor and I will got get acquainted in the little barn while you get inside before you pass out,” Jesse said as he shooed his girlfriend towards the door. “Go on; water runs pretty clean out of the tap once it’s had a minute to get going. Old pipes and all.”

She smiled at him before stumbling to the door and pushing it open with her shoulder. Jesse led Hodor around the back of the cabin to the small barn and started removing all of his tack. He gave him a good brush down, picked his hooves clean, and turned him loose into the paddock with his springy Sampson and a massive white horse that had not been there when he left. Must be the other horse that Hanzo had brought with her.

Hanzo was passed out on the couch when he walked in, her head pillowed on her arm. She looked peaceful lying there, her chest rising and falling slowly as she breathed. He smiled as he carefully picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. The bed wasn’t anything special, but it was ten times as comfortable as the couch. Hanzo stirred as he pulled the covers over her, smiling sleepily before she let out a long groan. He could hear something vibrating and she reached under the covers to pull her phone out.

“Hello?” she grunted as she answered, snuggling down into the mattress. “Oh, hey kiddo. No, no I’m fine. Sorry, kind of had an emergency. No, no we’re fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle. Just a little tired.” She was silent as whoever was on the other end of the phone babbled about something. “Yah, I’ll let him know. You be good now. I don’t want to find out you’ve been a holy terror while I was gone.” She let out a soft laugh and smiled sleepily. “Miss you too, Pet. I’ll see you soon.”

“Who was that?” Jesse asked as Hanzo hung up and put her phone on the nightstand.

“Pet,” she yawned. “I’ll explain when I wake up.”

“Yah, no problem,” Jesse smiled as he pulled his boots off, unclipped his chest plate and set it on the floor, set his hat on the bedpost, and draped his serape over it.

He crawled into bed beside her and snuggled against her back. She let out a content sigh before she fell back asleep. He watched her for a long while, slowly falling in love all over again, before he tucked his face into her shoulder and let himself drift off.

* * *

 

He knew coming alone was a bad idea, but when intel suggested that he wouldn’t have time to wait around, he’d done the only thing he could do. He grabbed his pulse rifle, pulled his visor and face mask on, and headed for the supposed drop-point between the local street gang and Talon. He should have known it was a trap, but being the stubborn old soldier he was, Soldier 76 had charged in without thinking.

Look where it got him. He was fighting tooth and nail to stay alive with his pulse rifle acting as a dead-weight on his back since he ran out of ammunition for it. His visor was cracked and blood was running down the side of his face from his split eyebrow. His ears were ringing from the baseball bat he’d gotten to the head, but he had managed to shake off the concussion for now.

The goons stepped forward, swinging their bats and lead pipes threateningly. Talon was nowhere to be found; they’d left the gang members to deal with him. Normally, that would have spelt their death, but 76 was alone with no backup and no way to contact his partner. 76 braced himself for one final burst of violence before the end.

Smoke billowed around the goons and they looked around them in confusion. A deep, heavily filtered voice laughed before two of the goons’ heads were smashed together hard enough to shatter their skulls. The goons flinched backwards in surprise, one or two taking a swing at the shape stepping out of the smoke. A clawed fist caught a bat and wrenched the wielder forward, driving a palm hard enough into the goon’s face to ram their nose up into their brain.

The fight did not last long as the black-clad figure materialized fully and killed every goon that tried to attack them. One or two turned tail and fled, only to get shot by 76 as he pulled his sidearm free now that he had room to move. He breathed deeply as he heard the sound of blood dripping to the broken asphalt beneath them.

“Not bad, for an old man,” the black-clad figure laughed hauntingly before they turned a bone-white mask towards him.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Soldier: 76 snorted as he turned to face Reaper. “Cut it a little close though.”

“I might be able to shadow step, darling, but even that has a limited ranger,” Reaper chuckled as she walked over. “When will I stop picking your ass up from the middle of a fight, _mi rey_?”

“When I stop being stupid,” Jack smiled as he pulled his mask off. “So, you know, never.”

Reaper shook her head before the mask misted away. “What am I going to do with you, Boy Scout?” Gabriel asked as she set a hand on her hips. “Because I don’t think you’d appreciate being tied to a chair for the rest of your life.”

“I might be,” he smirked, “if you’re there to care for me, _mi reina_.”

“Charmer,” she purred before she leaned in and kissed him. “Let’s get you back to the safehouse and get you patched up. You aren’t as young as you used to be, _corazón._ ”

He didn’t argue as they slipped down the side alleys. Gabriel’s Reaper attire billowed off of her as the familiar red dress and heels took their place. She tossed her thick curls over her shoulder as the candy-skull makeup slowly etched its way across her face. Her heels clicked comfortingly beside him as they continued on to their temporary home.

“I missed you,” he murmured as he reached for her hand.

Her long fingers laced slowly with his and she squeezed his hand. “I missed you too, _cariño_ ,” she smiled at him. “You look like shit though. What gave you the bright idea to go into a potential weapons exchange without backup?”

“Limited time,” Jack chuckled.

“You are such an idiot, _mi corazón_ ,” she shook her head. “One of these days I’m going to come back to our safehouse and find you dead.”

He pulled her close, ignoring the fact that they were standing in the middle of a filthy street somewhere in the backwaters of Texas. His mouth pressed hot against hers and the long moan of pleasure that issued from between her lips made him hard. Her red eyes fluttered open slowly as he pulled away, a sultry pout on her lips.

“Now that’s not fair, Jack,” she huffed. “I’m the one that’s supposed to sweep you off your feet when you aren’t expecting it.”

Jack smiled and nuzzled his face into her hair. “Gotta make up for lost time somehow,” he cooed. “Why don’t we take this inside where we can show each other just how much we missed each other?”

“You just want me to give you a blowjob,” she laughed as she walked past him into the safehouse. “You dirty, dirty old man.”

Jack didn’t bother hiding his grin as he followed her inside. So he had an ulterior motive; it wasn’t anything they weren’t already used to.


	2. Chapter 2

Jesse woke to the smell of frying bacon. His mouth watered as his eyes fluttered open and he let out a long groan as he stretched himself out on the bed. Hanzo’s place beside him was cold and he pouted a little as he got to his feet; so much for waking up to her beautiful face. He stepped out into the main living space and smiled as he watched Hanzo zip around the kitchen making breakfast.

“How’d you manage to slip out from under me without wakin’ me up?” he asked with a yawn.

“Very carefully,” Hanzo replied as she flipped an omelette over in the frying pan. “Took a good twenty minutes, but I managed to escape your bear hug.”

Jesse shook his head as he walked over. “Looks almost domestic,” he murmured as he nuzzled his face into her hair. “Good look for us.”

“Don’t hug; I need my arms,” she warned as she started fiddling with the dials on the stove. She turned her head to kiss his cheek, her eyes soft as she ran her nose over his. “You need a shower, mountain man.”

“Smell that bad?” he smirked.

“There’s gore caked into your hair and beard,” she smirked in return.

“Oh.”

Well that made sense. He ran his fingers through his hair, grimacing at the crusty pieces of blood that crumbled under his nails. That was gross. He rubbed his fingers together, careful to keep them away from Hanzo while she cooked.

“So want me to go now or…?”

“Breakfast is almost ready; you can take your shower afterwards,” she said as she flicked the dials on the stove to the off position. “You have plates right?”

“Of course,” he frowned. “Why do you think I wouldn’t?”

“Because this is a bachelor pad and you savages are infamous for eating everything out of the damn frying pan,” she laughed as she ran her fingers through her hair.

“Well, I’ll have you know I’m the most cultured man around these parts,” he smirked as he pulled a couple of plates out of the cupboard. “You having tea?”

“I’m good for now,” she smiled as she loaded the plates full of omelette and bacon. “Sorry if the omelette’s a little off; I had to improvise a few things.”

“You know that scrambled eggs are easier to make,” he said as he accepted his plate.

Hanzo’s face turned a faint shade of green as she shook her head. “I haven’t been able to eat scrambled eggs since Germany,” she said softly.

McCree stiffened. “Oh.”

Right. He should have known that. How had he not even noticed that she hadn’t eaten scrambled eggs since that terribly botched Blackwatch mission in Germany? She’d vomited it up all over herself when the truck rolled; of course she wouldn’t want to eat scrambled eggs ever again. What sort of boyfriend didn’t notice that?

“Hanzo, I didn’t,” he started to apologize as she sat down at the table.

“Don’t worry about it, Jesse,” she smiled at him. “You didn’t say that to be malicious. It’s was an honest statement. Just let me know how it tastes so I know if I should use those ingredients again.”

Jesse sat down across from her and eagerly dug into the omelette. He coughed into his hand, shaking his head as the flavour covered his tongue. That was not what he was expecting when he stuffed a chunk of egg into his mouth.

“That’s sweet,” he commented as he poked at the omelette. “Did you put sugar in this?”

“Sugar beets,” she frowned. “Won’t use them again.”

“Doesn’t taste bad,” he grinned as he ripped off a large chunk of bacon between his teeth. “Just really sweet.”

“Something has to even out that sass,” she smirked.

“So, who called you last night?” he asked as they ate.

“My kid.”

Jesse just about spit his food across the table. “We have a kid?!” he demanded.

Hanzo’s face turned bright red and she held up her hands. “Holy fuck, no! She’s an omnic! Genji and I just call her our kid out of affection! Oh god, I have to start thinking before I open my damn mouth.”

Jesse deflated a little, running his hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved. On the one hand, he absolutely adored kids. On the other hand, not being there when Hanzo gave birth would have made him a terrible, terrible father.

“Well, that’s a relief,” he smiled sheepishly. “Pet’s a bit of a mean name though, don’t ya think?”

“Don’t freak out,” she sighed. “Her full name is Petras RZL-1. We’ve been debating around the monastery whether she should adopt the Tekhartha or the Shimada surname.”

Jesse tensed up. “She’s a Petras Unit?”

The UN had commissioned a large number of robots to help enforce the Petras Act. He had seen them in action before, hunting down a rogue agent that made the mistake of not covering their trail. They were terrifyingly efficient; had the poor sod caught within a few hours, all without any harm to the civilian population. He hadn’t been aware that they were omnics though.

“Ex-Petras unit,” Hanzo corrected as she chewed on a piece of bacon. “She’s a really good kid. You’d like her.”

“Can omnics even be kids?” Jesse frowned.

“She has the mental capacity of a ten-year old at the moment,” Hanzo shrugged. “Zen’s been working with her to restore a lot of her functions. Apparently breaking as violently from her programing as she did really messes with your mental state.”

Jesse caught the affectionate nickname and grinned. “Zen?” he asked.

Hanzo blinked before a wicked smirk dominated her face. “Oh right, you aren’t in the loop anymore; Zenyatta and Genji have officially been an item now for almost four years.”

“So they finally stopped pussy-footing around each other?” Jesse laughed.

“I had to lock them in a closet until they talked it over,” Hanzo snorted. “Had Discord orbs following me around for days afterwards; Zen was so mad at me. Was worth it, though.”

“Sounds like it was,” he smiled as he polished off his plate and stood up. “I’m going to go take that shower now.”

“Good,” Hanzo smiled as she looked down at her plate and finished the last few mouthfuls. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

He gave her a kiss before carrying his dishes to the sink. He’d do them when he got back in and he made sure to call over his shoulder to let Hanzo know he was going to do dishes. He wasn’t letting her cook AND do the dishes. That would just be rude.

He headed outside to the back of the cottage and stepped into the little stall he had built when he arrived a few months back. He stripped out of his clothes and turned the water on, shivering as the cool water crashed over his shoulders. He scrubbed his skin down until it tingled and felt a little raw. Most of him was permanently tanned at this point from the long days in the sun while running from the cops and it looked funny turning a faint shade of pink. He started whistling softly as he lathered his hands up with shampoo and started cleaning his hair and beard. He rinsed and turned the water off.

He stepped out of the shower and shook his head like a wet dog, grinning foolishly at the mess he made of the walls. He pushed his hair out of his face, combing his fingers through his locks to part it the way he liked it. He figured that Hanzo would help get any knots out of it when she started playing with it later; it was inevitable that they were going to cuddle. He redressed himself, whistling as he headed back inside.

Hanzo had done the dishes and he pouted at the empty sink. Damn it. He huffed and looked around the main room, spotting her ponytail peeking up over the top of the couch. He smirked as he headed over, opening his mouth to playfully scold her for doing his job, but stopped as he noticed his black serape draped over her.

His smirk softened into a smile as he rested his arms on the back of the couch. “Didn’t think I was gone that long,” he teased gently. “Had to wrap yourself in something of mine to keep the loneliness at bay?”

Hanzo glanced up at him from her book and frowned. “This isn’t a blanket?” she asked.

“No,” he laughed. “It’s a serape.”

“A what?” she asked with a blink.

“Serape,” he repeated. “It’s sort of like a cloak.”

“Oh,” she said as she pulled the serape off of her. “Sorry; I thought it was a blanket from the way it was folded in the closet.”

“Ain’t no harm, darlin’,” he smiled. “Kind of like seeing it on you, even if you are just using it as a blanket.”

Hanzo shook her head in amusement before she reached for him. “Come lie down,” she said. “I barely got to enjoy you last night.”

Jesse grinned as he climbed over the couch and snuggled against her, covering her neck and jaw in kisses. She laughed and pushed at him, claiming that wasn’t what she meant, but she didn’t tell him to stop as he moved the serape over them and slipped his hand into her pants. If the possessive snarl she gave was anything to go by, she missed him just as much as he missed her. Perhaps a little bit more.

* * *

 

Zenyatta rested his knuckles on his knees and inhaled slowly through his vents. “Relax, Petras,” he soothed. “You are too tense to let your mind heal.”

Petras squirmed uncomfortably where she sat, her expressive features constricting as her ears twisted to lie flat on her head. “Sorry, sensei,” she apologized.

Zenyatta smiled with his optics before he reached out to stroke his fingers over her head. “There is no need to apologize, Petras,” he reassured her. “You have been doing very well. I am pleased with your progress.”

The shifting plates of her face twisted upwards into an approximation of a smile and she bounced a little where she sat. “Thank you!”

Zenyatta inclined his head as she straightened her back and did her best to focus on her meditation. Her tail twitched a little, but it soon settled down as her shoulders relaxed. He heard her vent deeply and let himself sink back into his own meditation.

Pet had come a long way from the broken, confused omnic that had stumbled into the monastery. Her boundless energy had taken some getting used to for the calmer individuals, but the bond she had formed with the Shimada siblings was more than enough to make up for any upset in routine she had caused them. Just the thought of her training with Genji and Hanzo in the courtyard brought a flutter of fondness to Zenyatta’s soul.

There was a long stretch of silence before Genji dropped down beside Zenyatta and settled into his favoured meditating position. Zenyatta sent two orbs to orbit around his mate before he turned to regard him.

“How was your jog, Genji?” he asked.

“Refreshing,” Genji chuckled. His fingers brushed gently against Zenyatta’s wrist as he shifted until their knees were touching.

“Did those egg hatch yet?” Pet asked excitedly.

“Not quite, but that momma eagle was sitting nearby and glaring at me when I get close,” Genji said. “I expect they’ll hatch any day now.”

“How do you know it wasn’t the daddy eagle?” Pet asked as her ears flicked sideways in what they had come to understand meant she was being coy.

“It was the larger of the pair,” Genji chuckled. “Female eagles are usually larger than the males.”

“Ooh,” Pet’s tail thumped against the ground. “Neat!”

“Very,” Genji agreed. “Aren’t you supposed to be meditating?” he teased.

Pet let out a playful gasp before she straightened her back again. Zenyatta shook his head in amusement before he settled back into his meditative state. They meditated for ten peaceful minutes before Pet began to squirm. Zenyatta let out a content sigh before he lifted his hands.

“That is enough for now, Pet; let me have a look at you.”

Pet stood proudly in front of him as her tail folded neatly into her back. She fit her hands into his, letting him lift her arms to see how her chassis was faring. Most of her components had been easy enough to replace and the new additions that Genji had helped meld into her frame were integrating nicely. There were still stress lines along her back where the folding plates did not mesh how they were supposed to, but they were slowly working their way through it.

“Do you think you can handle your shifting?” Zenyatta asked.

“Assault mode, yes; recon mode is still out of the question,” Pet replied.

“Show me,” Zenyatta instructed as he released her hands. “But do not force the shift. If it hurts too much, we will try again tomorrow.”

“Yes, Zenyatta,” she nodded her head.

She took a few steps back to give herself space and dimmed her optics. Her plating lifted before she shifted with some difficulty into her quadrupedal assault form. Guns whirled and clicked into place on her back as she shifted from one foot to the other, gauging her new center of gravity. Her tail moved slowly back and forth, the jagged edges bristling slowly.

She took a few shaky steps forward before she sat down. “All systems operating at sixty-eight percent,” she said calmly. “Support struts still unable to bear full weight when in motion.”

Zenyatta nodded and she shifted back to her bipedal form. “That is three percent more than yesterday,” he soothed. “You are doing very well.”

Pet’s face shifted into a smile and she bowed. “It’s because I have a patient teacher,” she said.

Genji let out a laugh as he got to his feet. “Aw, she’s starting to adopt some of my charm,” he said happily as he hugged her tightly to his chest. “Come on; let’s go get some target practice in before you have to go sunbathe.”

Pet let out a loud whoop of delight before she charged off ahead. Zenyatta glanced at his mate and inclined his head. Genji knelt down and pressed their foreheads together, accepting the soft little spark of a kiss with a soft hum. They rubbed their foreheads together before Genji went to follow Pet and make sure she didn’t accidentally startle one of the other monks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest assured everyone; Pet is not actually Hanzo's kid. She's pseudo-adopted and slowly recovering from her trauma. Sweet little thing too. 
> 
> And if you didn't think that Jesse has a closet full of serapes, you are wrong~


	3. Chapter 3

Gabriel stood watching the rain splatter against the window of the church she and Jack were holed up in. It was a comforting sound, one that calmed the emotions curling beneath her flesh. It distracted her from the constant pain that tormented her and helped her to focus on the problems unfurling before her.

Reaper was a wanted mercenary with ties to Talon; La Muerte was a dangerous vigilante working with the equally dangerous Soldier: 76. Gabriel Reyes had a gravestone in Dorado next to her mother that no one tended to except for Jack and her when they went to pay their respects to whatever poor souls were buried in their stead. Jack was getting older and he couldn’t move as well as he used to. He was dying a little more every day and there was nothing she could do about it.

He was getting older and dying and she wasn’t aging a day. She was still forty-eight, would always be forty-eight, while Jack aged. Panic gripped her heart as she stared out the window. Jack was dying. Jack was dying. He was dying and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He would grow old and die and she would be left alone to deal with this horrible state of constant decay and regeneration. He would be gone and the only light in her life would vanish and….

“Gabe?” Jack’s voice broke through the crawling, skittering thoughts.

She snapped her head towards him, blinking rapidly as she swallowed down the gasp that wanted to leave her. He was leaning on the doorframe, his white hair disheveled and looking worse for wear. His torso was covered in fresh scars that had yet to lose their painful red colour. His face was a mess of burned scar tissue and two deep slices ran across most of his face. The once cherub features were gone, replaced with a haggard expression that did not suit him.

“My thoughts didn’t wake you, did they?” Gabriel asked as she turned towards him.

“The cold spot beside me woke me up,” Jack yawned as he walked over to her. “What’s on your mind, _mi luna_?”

Gabriel smiled. He was trying so much harder to learn Spanish now. His accent was still terrible, made worse by his gravelly voice; she suspected that was the result of smoke inhalation when the Swiss base exploded and caved in on top of them; but the fact that he was trying made her feel better about everything. Hearing him call her pet names in her mother-tongue made her feel much lighter than she was and that maybe, just maybe, they were going to be alright.

“What isn’t on my mind, _mi sol_?” she sighed as she pillowed her head on his chest.

The height difference had taken some getting used to. It was a strain to remain at seven feet tall and required more souls than she was willing to consume to keep her body from looking like a charred skeleton. She flirted between six foot one; same as Jack’s height; and her original five-foot-six, often sticking with the five-foot-six as it was easier to maintain and let her have better control of what she looked like. Jack liked being able to pull her into his chest, but she knew he missed her doing the same.

“Don’t worry so much about us,” Jack soothed as he kissed her temple. “We’re here and we’re alive. That’s all that we should care about.”

“Aside from getting revenge for our fallen comrades,” she smirked.

“That too,” Jack laughed. “Come back to bed.”

Gabriel smiled and let herself be led back into their make-shift bedroom. The mattress Jack had managed to haul up the stairs was lying on the floor, covered in thin sheets and a moth-eaten duvet that kept the chill off of them. Not that Gabriel really felt the cold anymore, but she certainly appreciated the warmth. Jack’s pulse rifle was lying beside the bed within easy grabbing distance. He could have it cocked and ready to fire in less time than most people were able to blink.

Gabriel crawled into bed beside Jack after he had settled down, her clothing misting away to reveal her mottled flesh and nightmare fuel inducing body. There were too many eyes for even her liking, but there was only so much that she could control of her shape at this point. At least it wasn’t mouths and teeth everywhere; she didn’t think she could live with herself if she heard her voice coming out of her shoulders or hips. She could handle the maws on her palms; they stayed closed when she wanted them to.

Jack wrapped his arms around her, unfazed by the eyes squinting at him from her collarbone. They had given him quite the shock the first time they had tried to cuddle; to be fair, she had screamed the first time she saw them too; but he had simply leaned in close and kissed each one with affectionate reverence.

“You’re the best, Jack,” she murmured softly. “Don’t know too many men that would have stayed with me.”  
“We might never have taken vows before a priest,” Jack murmured as he gently lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm to silence the gnashing mouth, “but I swore that I would love you forever and I intend to keep that vow.”

“You’re such a sap,” she teased.

“Would you have me any other way?” Jack asked with a soft smile.

“No,” she shook her head. “I wouldn’t. You rest, Jack.”

He tucked his head into her shoulder and let out a soft sigh. She wrapped her arms around his torso, keeping her grip loose in case he needed to reach for his gun. She felt him slowly fall back asleep and the rain outside kept falling, soothing her into a state of rest that wasn’t quite sleeping but just as peaceful.

* * *

 

Jesse rubbed at his jaw as he watched Hanzo set up the last target. Hodor was standing quietly beside her, head lowered as the slanting sunlight beat off of him. Sampson flicked his ears forward curiously, but Jesse kept a firm hold of his reins to keep him from going to investigate. They had left white Champion behind in the paddock; apparently he was useless for what Hanzo wanted to do.

She sprang back into the saddle and trotted Hodor over to him, pulling her bow out of the case at her knee. “You ready?” she smirked as she pulled up beside him.

“Ready to school you,” he grinned. “Six shots, six targets; this is my playground, darlin’.”

“No showboating this round,” she smirked. “Just shoot the targets and get a feel for the arena. The more deadly the wound, the better your score.”

“What’s the prize?” he asked as he patted _Peacekeeper_.

Hanzo’s grin turned devious as she flicked the long strand of hair she had hanging down the right side of her face behind her ear. “I’m sure the winner can think of something,” she teased.

“Sounds good to me,” he cackled as he nudged Sampson forward. “Prepare to lose, darlin’!”

He kicked Sampson into a canter, leaning forward in the saddle as they approached the first target. He drew Peacekeeper in one smooth motion and started firing as they raced past. It felt good to do something this simple with Hanzo; training had always been about staying alive and not getting killed on a mission. Now, this little challenge was for fun, a chance to show off for the dangerous assassin and show what he could do after four years of bounty hunting. He shot the last target in the shoulder and turned Sampson back towards Hanzo and Hodor.

“How was that, darlin’?” he laughed as he approached. “Think you can do better?”

“Oh, definitely,” Hanzo mused as she patted Hodor’s neck. “Watch and learn, cowboy.”

The way she purred that final word had his heart dancing in his chest. He watched Hodor trot past, his ears perked backwards as Hanzo murmured to him. She had Storm Bow in her left hand, her shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows so that Minami’s head was fully exposed. She gave Hodor a firm kick and he broke into a full gallop.

He blinked and almost missed her pulling three arrows from her quiver. She twisted in the saddle, firing over Hodor’s rump at each target. She hit every one of them in the head as they sped by, not even bothering to steer Hodor. Jesse’s mouth fell open as Hodor slowed down to a trot, his sides heaving as Hanzo looked over the damage she had done.

“I do believe round one goes to me,” she teased.

Jesse squinted at her. “You part Hun?” he asked as he pointed at the targets. “Because that’s just plain scary.”

“I was raised from birth to be an efficient killer,” Hanzo smirked. “Shooting from horseback might be an old and dead art, but it never hurts to be prepared.”

“So you won,” he pouted.

“No round two?” she asked sweetly.

“I won’t be able to top that no matter what I do,” he pouted further, sticking his lip out as far as it would go.

“Hmm, sore loser,” she teased before she reached up and stole his hat off of his head. “So I get this for the next week or so.”

“That’s what you wanted as your prize?” Jesse laughed. “Darlin’, you could have just asked!”

“Not as satisfying,” she grinned as she set the hat on her head and fluttered her eyelashes. “So much better to win something like this than to just ask.”

He watched her turn Hodor around to collect her arrows and whistled. Damn, if she didn’t look good in his hat. She shot him a wink over her shoulder and his belly tied itself into knots. He let out a long sigh before he slumped across Sampson’s shoulders and patted his neck.

“That woman, my boy,” he sighed. “That woman should be the death of me, but I’ve never felt more alive.”  
Sampson snorted and bent down to crop at the shrubby grass around his hooves. Jesse straightened in the saddle, watching Hanzo put the arrows back in her quiver and dismount to start dismantling the targets. He urged Sampson forward, shaking his head in amusement as he went to go help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is still suffering from the effects of being turned into Reaper. Jack's there to keep her grounded, most of the time, but clearly there are lots of things for her to deal with.
> 
> And Jesse learns that his girlfriend is incredibly talented and he needs to appreciate her more.


	4. Chapter 4

“So you’re just going to stay holed up here for the rest of time?” Hanzo teased as she leaned against the back of the couch.

“Well, I have a pretty high bounty on my head,” Jesse shrugged and leaned towards her. “What, you don’t like living rustic?”

“I’m visiting a country known for its tourist attractions and natural beauty,” she shook her head and propped her feet up on the coffee table. “I want to see it, Jesse. With you.”

Jesse chewed that over for a few minutes. It was dangerous for him to head out into the world with such a high bounty on his head. But, when had danger ever stopped him before? He’d been cautious in the hopes of getting to Nepal to see the love of his life. Instead, she had come to find him because she was worried about him. If that didn’t scream commitment, he had to step up his game.

“We could go on a road trip,” he mused. “We would just have to be very careful.”

“Jesse, I was on the run for five years,” she smirked. “I killed assassins meant to kill me. I think I can keep a low profile. And if we go west towards California, I’ll blend right in.”

“It’s a big country,” Jesse smiled. “It could take us years to see everything.”

“Well,” she smiled as she swung herself onto his lap and straddled his hips, “last time I checked, neither of us are employed. I say that gives us all the time in the world. And,” she leaned in and kissed him gently, pulling a deep groan from his chest, “we can always turn in a few bounties to keep ourselves fed.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled up at her. “Ah, _mi bella luna_ ,” he purred, “that sounds wonderful to me.”

Hanzo smiled and kissed him again, snuggling down against him. “So, where shall we begin our great adventure?” she asked.

“Well, my old stompin’ grounds aren’t too far from here,” he mused. “Deadlock’s been driven out of there, too, so it should be safe to take a stroll down memory lane.”

“Should be safe,” she smirked. “So I should bring a gun with me?”

“Yer in the south, love; everyone has a gun,” he laughed.

“Americans,” she teased before she got to her feet. “So, we’re taking the horses?” she asked.

Jesse stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “I have a safe spot to leave them when I have to go away,” he said. “Little far to take them cross-country.”

“True,” she mused. “How soon can you be ready to head out?”

“Tomorrow,” he chuckled as he got to his feet. He stepped up behind her and kissed over her neck, nosing into her hair gently. “Mmm, I want to spend today in your arms.”

Hanzo laughed and reached up to run her fingers through his hair. “You are so romantic,” she teased before she tugged gently on his beard. “Come on, _anata_ ; the bed’s this way.”

He followed her eagerly, smiling as she hummed softly and stripped out of her shirt, leaving just her sports bra on. He hugged her around the waist, kissing over her neck until they crawled into bed and laid there together.

* * *

 

“So, we’re going to Mexico?” Gabriel asked with an amused smile.

“Dorado,” Jack agreed as he stuffed a few more items into his bag. “Don’t look at me like that. You’ve seen the reports just as well as I have.”

“Dorado’s almost completely controlled by the local gang,” she said as she watched him. “If the news can be trusted, of course.”

“It doesn’t hurt to go have a look,” Jack shrugged. “Beats staying in Texas while they’re having their annual ‘our heads are shoved so far up our asses we’re licking our tonsils’ parties.”

Gabriel laughed at the mental image before she stepped forward and cupped Jack’s cheek. “You are so creative, my darling,” she teased. “Your sense of humour keeps me young.”

“Well, it has to keep one of us young,” he smiled before kissing her. “Mmm, come on. I want to get moving.”

“So dedicated to your job,” Gabriel pouted. “You don’t even want to know what I’ve learned to do?”

Jack looked at her curiously. She grinned and walked back towards the bed, humming softly as she made a show of misting her clothing slowly off of herself.

“Why didn’t you show me before?” he asked slowly.

“Maybe I didn’t have the right incentive,” she smirked as she sat down and beckoned him closer. “And I’m still working on the whole ‘shape-shifting’ thing. Height is one thing, changing genetic material? Not so much.”

“Changing genetic material?” he asked in confusion as he walked over. “You haven’t been hurting yourself, have you?”

Gabriel smiled and cupped Jack’s cheek, pulling him close so she could kiss him. Her Platinum God was so sweet and loving, even when most of the world only saw an old man down on his luck. She ran a hand down his back and smiled as he shivered under her touch.

“I haven’t,” she added as her clothing misted away and her surprise twitched behind the lace confines of her underwear. “You should unwrap your gift though.”

Jack looked at her in disbelief as he reached out to pull her underwear down. The newly formed penis stood at attention, the dimensions the exact same as Jack’s favourite toys. His fingers trailed along the underside before he lowered his mouth to the straining length.

Gabriel purred as Jack happily started bobbing his head and deep throating her new addition. She couldn’t feel much outside of the pressure of Jack’s mouth and throat around her, but it still felt amazing. She reached over to the stash of linens beside the bed and extracted the bottle of lube. She gave it a wiggle, smirking as Jack shivered happily.

“Yes,” he groaned as he lifted himself off of her cock. “Please.”

“My, my,” she teased. “So eager for a cock up your ass. We sure you aren’t gay and only keeping me around for my good looks?”

Jack pouted and squirmed. “My partner grew a cock just for me; sorry if I’m overly eager to try it out,” he huffed.

“Honey, you just about cried with delight the first time I got the strap-on out,” she teased. “You just love having your ass stretched out.”

“Only when it’s you on the other end of the cock,” he pouted, pushing his lips out.

Gabriel smiled and poured a bit of lube onto her hands. She slicked her length up, smiling as Jack shivered eagerly. He climbed onto her lap and guided her fingers up to his eagerly trembling hole. It took no time for her to loosen him, purring into his ear about how loose he was for her. When he was a wiggling, panting mess, she nuzzled him and slowly pushed inside.

Jack threw his head back with a moan, arching into her as she pushed in to the hilt. She had stars dancing in front of her eyes as Jack’s insides tightened around her. She let out a groan and nuzzled him, smirking as he let out soft whimpers in her ear.

“Holy fuck, babe,” she purred. “Were you always this tight?”

Jack nodded his head, whimpering in her ear. “Gabe,” he moaned.

“Mmm, hold on,” she soothed before she started rocking her hips forward. “Still gotta get used to this. This is so much better than that toy.”

“Uh huh,” Jack whimpered in agreement. “Oh, Gabe.”

“Ssh, _cariño_ ,” she purred as she ran her fingers through his hair. “Let your Gabi take care of your neglected bottom.”

Jack whimpered and nodded, pressing in close as Gabriel started thrusting a little faster into him.

* * *

 

“The mighty hunter stalks her prey,” Pet giggled as she moved as quietly as she could through the monastery.

The monks were meditating somewhere below her, their soft humming mantras tickling her audio receptors. It was a pleasant bit of background noise, but she had to focus. Her quarry would not let her off lightly if she failed to subdue him quickly. It was best not to keep him waiting.

She prowled forward, watching the shadows and following where her nose told her that Genji was hiding. She paused, swivelling her ears around to try to pinpoint him, and dodged to the side in time to avoid three shurikens.

“I was quiet,” she pouted as he dropped down beside her.

“Not quiet enough,” he teased.

Pet huffed and turned, widening her stance. Genji followed suit before he made a beckoning motion at her. She let out a howl before she lunged, going for Genji’s waist. Genji darted to the side and she rolled, grunting softly in pain. She shook her head and bounced back to her feet, giggling as he swayed.

“Not bad,” he cooed, “but you are still too slow.”

“Not slow,” she growled before she bounced around. “Just learning, Mr. ‘I’ve Been Doing This Since I Was Little’.”

“Is that so?” Genji laughed before he lunged. “Engarde!”

Pet squealed and darted out of the way, laughing as she charged ahead. Genji laughed as he chased her, purposefully letting her stay ahead of him as they raced through the monastery. She ran up to a window and faulted out, laughing happily as she dropped to the ground and kept running.

She raced across the monastery grounds with Genji right on her tail. She darted to the side and tried to vault her way up to a window, only to trip and roll into a stubbornly persistent snowbank. She popped up and shook her head, grinning widely at Genji as he laughed at her expense. She shook herself off and lunged for him, tackling him to the ground.

They rolled across the ground, laughing and trying to tickle the other. She heard Zenyatta laughing at them and eagerly lifted herself up to wave at him.

“Hi Zenyatta!” she called. “You’re looking very shiny!”

“As are you, Petras,” Zenyatta chuckled as he floated over to them. “Are you training with Genji or attempting to make him urinate on himself?”

“Both,” she grinned.

“I have amazing bladder control, thanks,” Genji chuckled as he got to his feet. “And someone has to keep Pet on her toes. She’d rust otherwise.”

Petras wagged her tail happily before Zenyatta whipped an orb at her. She ducked it and laughed, dodging his attacks as he took over for Genji. She would have shouted that it wasn’t fair if she wasn’t actually having fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two main groups are getting ready for the road and the Shambali are dealing with a child-minded omnic that learns best when she's having fun.
> 
> Shape-shifting for the win~ What Gabe won't do for her sunshine~


	5. Chapter 5

“I wasn’t expecting Champion to be such a princess,” Jesse chuckled as he watched the white stallion prance in place when Hanzo tried to tie her bow to the saddle.

“Hence why I prefer to ride Hodor,” she said as she finally managed to get the bow hooked in place. “Unfortunately, Champion is built for speed, not manual labour. I have to use Hodor to haul everything or Champion will fall over dead. Waste of my money, if you ask me.”

Jesse chuckled as he hauled himself into the saddle. Hanzo hauled herself onto Champion’s back and clicked her tongue at Hodor. He followed without hesitation, trotting happily at Champion’s flank. Jesse patted Sampson’s neck and nudged him forward.

They set off across the desert, using the cooler evening air to their advantage. Jesse had taken everything he needed and left the rest. Someone trying to survive out in the desert might benefit from some simple supplies if they stumbled across the house. Far be it from him to not let someone take advantage of a good thing. Hanzo led the way, her eyes on the horizon and one hand on Champion’s shoulder. Jesse followed, watching her sway in the saddle to keep her balance.

“Yer a sight to behold,” he sighed after they had been travelling a few hours.

“You’re just saying that,” she smirked at him over her shoulder. “I’m sure a lot of girls have heard you say that.”

“None like you, Hanzo,” he chuckled. “Not a single one.”

Hanzo laughed at him and shook her head. Jesse inhaled happily at the sound. He hadn’t realized how lonely he was until she returned to his life. Sure, he had been on his own avoiding bounty hunters, but he hadn’t realized how lonely he was until he had someone with him again. There was nothing that could substitute human companionship for him.

They made camp at daybreak, settling down to endure the heat of the day. They dozed most of the day away, getting up to check the horses and make sure that they were well watered and not hungry. The horses didn’t seem to mind the heat, but Jesse and Hanzo happily curled up under a thin blanket in their tent with a portable, battery-powered fan blasting on them.

They packed up camp around six in the evening and made it to the farm outside of Santa Fe before dawn. The owner came running out with a shotgun, but paused when Jesse waved at him. Hanzo tensed beside him, one hand settling over the handle of _Peacekeeper_. Best to diffuse this before someone got shot.

“Jesse McCree, yer goin’ to be the death of me,” the man growled as he stormed over, lowering his gun when he realized who was on his property. “Showin’ up at this ungodly hour!”

“Sorry, Sid,” Jesse chuckled as he shook the man’s hand. “Gotta leave Sampson with ya. Headin’ out for a little sight-seein’.”

“Sight-seeing?” Sid glared at him. “With the bounty on yer head that you got?”

“I’ll be fine,” Jesse laughed as he wrapped his arm around Hanzo’s waist. “‘Sides, I got this lil lady watchin’ my back.”

Sid gave Hanzo a flat look and shook his head. “Yer an idiot, but what does an old man like me know?” he grumbled.

“My bike still in working order?” Jesse asked as he held onto Hanzo to make sure she didn’t try to kick the man’s ass.

She wasn’t relaxing. Jesse knew that Sid wouldn’t hurt him; he was an old friend of the family, someone that his father had trusted and Jesse knew that ol’ Joel McCree did trust anyone without reason. Besides, Sid was just as infamous as any member of Blackwatch; he couldn’t rat anyone out to the authorities without getting grabbed himself.

“Of course; wouldn’t let a beauty like that go to waste,” Sid snorted as he took the reins of the horses. “Go have a look, lovebird,” he added as Sampson snorted at him.

“A bike?” Hanzo asked.

Jesse grinned at her and winked as he led her over to the garage. He lifted the door as Sid led the horses away and ducked inside. Hanzo followed him over to the corner where his black hoverbike was and stared at it in awe. Jesse puffed his chest out proudly as she circled the bike.

“This is amazing,” she whispered. “How did you afford this?”

“Is that a shot at my financial situation?” he teased. “I’ll have you know I inherited the bike from my old man. Fixed her up nicely over the last few years.”

“You did a fantastic job,” she said. “This is what we’re going to explore the country on?”

“Yes,” Jesse grinned. “You like?”

“I do,” she chuckled before she started wheeling the bike out of the garage. “Come on, cowboy; help me get our things loaded up.”

Jesse followed her, smiling as the sun began to peek over the horizon. The start of a beautiful day and the start of a wonderful trip. He considered it a good sign.

* * *

 

Gabriel ran her fingers through Jack’s hair as they curled up in the corner of the cattle car. The cows were leaving them alone after they decided that licking both of them was not as entertaining as they had thought. Jack was fast asleep against her chest, his breathing even and light. It was good that he was getting some sleep; he had such a hard time of it when they were on the move.

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss over her mate’s forehead. He groaned softly, eyes fluttering open just enough for her to see the cloudy blue eyes. He smiled and rested his head back against her shoulder, mumbling about it being a beautiful day.

“You’re tired,” she teased.

“You fucked me raw,” he murmured. “Let the old man sleep.”

“You aren’t even fifty, you big baby,” she laughed as she tipped his chin up and kissed him. “You’re still young enough to enjoy a night of sex.”

“Mmm,” he smiled against her throat. “Not with you fucking me like you did.”

“Did you enjoy it?” she smirked.

“Yes,” Jack sighed. “And I hope you do it again. And again. And again.”

“Oh, I plan on it,” she laughed. “My little platinum god is going to be raw for weeks at this rate.”

Jack shivered at the thought and smiled up at her. “Oh, I look forward to that,” he sighed and snuggled in against her. “Mmm, nice and full on my girlfriend’s cock.”

“That is so weird for you to say,” Gabriel laughed. “But I’m glad you enjoy the little trick I learned.”

He snuggled into her side and sighed happily. Gabriel waited for him to fall back to sleep before she gently eased him to the floor and left to check how close to their destination they were. No one noticed her as she drifted down the length of the train to the conductor’s cabin. She checked the GPS, rolled her eyes at the conversation the men were having because of course they were discussing things that were gross, and left to return to her beloved.

She curled around him, smiling as she lifted him back onto her lap. He groaned and looked up at her, smiling slightly before he curled up.

“How many more hours?” he asked.

“Should be there by dusk,” she said. “Three hours.”

“Three more hours of sleep,” he murmured as he settled against her. “Sounds good.”

“Rest, _mi rey_ ,” she chuckled as she scratched behind his ears. “I’ll still be here.”


	6. Chapter 6

Hanzo looked around the gorge and smirked. “Not exactly much to look at,” she teased.

Jesse shot her a pout as he pulled his hat down over his eyes. “Now, that ain’t nice,” he huffed.

Hanzo laughed as she pushed her hair out of her face and tipped her face into the wind. The air was hot and unbearable, but the wind was blissfully cool. She inhaled deeply before she shifted away from Jesse. She walked a short distance away before scaling her way up the side of a building. She heard Jesse laugh below her as she leaned on the railing.

She closed her eyes and tipped her face towards the sun. The air was thick with the scent of cigarillo smoke and she smiled. It was a scent she missed dearly and couldn’t get enough of it now. She let out a long sigh and rested her weight on the railing.

“Hanzo, down,” Jesse said suddenly. “Duck down and don’t move.”

Hanzo backed up and ducked down, pulling out the handgun she had from Switzerland. She’d never gotten a chance to return it to Overwatch and, all things considered, it was easier to carry with her than her bow. She braced her back against the doorframe of the building, shifting just enough to be out of sight but still hear everything happening below her. She couldn’t see Jesse, but she could see the three men advancing on their position.

“Now, boys, I ain’t lookin’ fer trouble,” Jesse called out. “Y’all can put those guns away.”

“McCree,” one of the men snapped. “Yer a dirty rotten traitor.”

“Now, that’s a strong word to use,” Jesse said. “I don’t even know who you are.”

“Arrogant…!”

“Can it, Hutch,” another man growled. “We’re Deadlock, traitor.”

“Ah,” Jesse laughed. “Well, that explains it. Sorry to disappoint you, but I ain’t in the mood fer yer belly-achin’.”

Hanzo shifted forward, pressing herself against the wood of the deck. She moved slowly, keeping the men in sight at all times, and trying to line up a better shot. Jesse was talking with the men, distracting them, no doubt, from the fact that he was more than capable of killing them in a split second. If they knew who he was, they had to know that he was dangerous. She really didn’t know what they were hoping to accomplish.

She paused and rolled behind the corner of the building, hissing as she peeked out around it. There was a man making his way to stand directly over top of Jesse. She shifted her weight and braced her shoulder against the side of the building. She lined up the shot and waited.

The man pulled a handgun out and leaned over the railing. Hanzo fired twice and the man tumbled over the railing. Jesse and the men shouted in surprise as the corpse slammed into the ground.  The men backed up and Hanzo rose to her feet. She pulled the sleeve on her left arm up and leaned on the railing, levelling her handgun with the three men staring at her in disbelief.

“You boys want to try anything else?” she asked. “Or are you going to leave me and McCree alone?”

“You bitch!” one of the men snarled.

“Minami,” she growled and touched her dragon’s head. “All yours.”

Her guardian erupted out of her flesh with a roar, rushing forward to attack the men. She vaulted the railing as Kita rippled under her shirt, rolling into a crouch as the men shot at Minami as he toyed with them. Jesse tipped his hat to her as she rose smoothly to her feet and rested her handgun on her shoulder. Kita growled in her ear as she emerged from under her shirt, baring her teeth at the men trying to harm her mate.

“Minami, to me,” Hanzo shouted.

Minami zipped over to her without hesitating, growling happily in her ear as he pushed his bloody muzzle under her jaw. Kita leaned over to clean her mate’s face, scolding him for being so filthy. Hanzo ran her hand down Minami’s back as the three men stood staring at her, shaking down to their boots. She lifted an eyebrow before she unbuttoned her blouse and tossed it to the ground, rolling her head back on her neck.

Their eyes moved over her tattoos and they started backing up. Hanzo smirked and patted Kita’s neck. Her guardians growled and shook themselves off, opening their jaws as their whiskers trembled. They roared and flew at the men, jaws open as they attacked. Hanzo retrieved her blouse and dusted it off, smirking as her dragons tore the three men apart.

“I see they haven’t lost their touch,” Jesse chuckled as he walked over. “They don’t drain you too much?”

“Not as much as they used to,” Hanzo admitted. “When they are like this, they are easy to summon. I will most likely not be able to stand in a few minutes though.”

“So you want prince charming to sweep you off yer feet,” he teased.

“I want my cowboy to ride off into the sunset with me,” she teased back. “On his steel horse.”

“How ‘bout chrome?” he chuckled as the dragons returned and wound themselves happily around the both of them. “Well, hello, Minami. Missed you too.”

Minami rubbed his bloody muzzle against Jesse’s cheek and purred happily. Kita draped herself over Hanzo’s shoulders, growling softly as she lounged. Hanzo ran her hand over Kita’s nose, cooing to her guardian as Jesse scratched under Minami’s jaw.

They collected Jesse’s bike after they were certain that the Rebels were dead. It was best not to hang around where Deadlock still had stakes. Jesse apologized for the whole incident, but Hanzo just smirked and kissed him.

Nothing like a little firefight to liven the day up.

* * *

 

“I grow worried,” Genji admitted as he walked with Zenyatta along the path up to the monastery.

“You worry about a great many things, Genji,” Zenyatta chuckled. “What plagues your mind today?”

“There are reports coming in from every corner of the globe about increased crime rates not seen since before Overwatch,” Genji shook his head. “I am worried, _anata_.”

“I miss the grandeur of Overwatch,” Zenyatta agreed. “It was harmonious for the most part, but even those who were still finding their way were striving for the betterment of mankind. And omnickind, of course.”

“Does anything make you sad?” Genji teased as he reached out and took Zenyatta’s hand.

The warm metal settled against his palm and Zenyatta readily linked their fingers together. Zenyatta’s face might have been unmoving metal, but his aura was filled with happiness. Genji could feel it pulsing and rolling over him, wrapping him in close so that he did not feel the cold. Genji brought his husband’s hand up to his mouth and kissed gently over his knuckles.

“I am a very positive individual,” Zenyatta chuckled. “But I do experience sadness, mostly where those that I care about are concerned. Genji, if I ask you a question, will you be honest with me?”

“Of course, Zen,” Genji blinked at him.

Zenyatta tipped his head to the side before he stopped in his tracks. Genji turned to face him, tilting his head up at the tall omnic. Zenyatta brought Genji’s hands up to his chest and set them against the warm metal. He rolled his hands over Genji’s, his aura turning quiet and contemplative. Genji tilted his head slowly to the side before he reached up to cup Zenyatta’s cheek.

“What plagues your mind, my love?” Genji asked softly.

“There are many secrets in this world,” Zenyatta said slowly. “It is impossible to know them all, but I grow…agitated as of late. My thoughts are muddled where there was once clarity. I must ask you, Genji, and please do not be angry, but are you positive that Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison are dead?”

Genji felt the names hit him like a blow to the stomach. He let out a soft hiss of pain and Zenyatta’s arms wrapped around his waist. He accepted the support, tucking his exposed face into Zenyatta’s warm neck. Zenyatta’s hands rolled slowly through his coarse white hair, soothing him as he struggled to breathe.

It took longer than Genji felt comfortable admitting before he pulled away. He rubbed at his eyes and swallowed. Zenyatta held his hand the whole time, squeezing just hard enough to let Genji know that he was there for him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I was there when Gabriel and Jack were buried,” Genji said. “I am certain that they are dead, Zenyatta.”

“I am not so sure,” Zenyatta murmured as he rubbed his hand over the back of Genji’s. “I reach out into the world to see how our friends are doing and there is something dark and familiar just on the edge of my mind. It isn’t evil, but it is not good, either. It is walking the line, trying to find answers that only it and the soul walking beside it can find. They are so familiar to me, Genji, but they are also so different. I am positive that what happened to the Commanders is untrue.”

“Gabriel Reyes’ head was removed from her body,” Genji said gently. “She can’t come back from that, Zen.”

“You were pronounced dead when you were brought to Dr. Ziegler,” Zenyatta murmured. “And here you stand.”

“I wasn’t decapitated,” Genji chuckled before he cupped Zenyatta’s face again. “Do you believe that it is our lost commanders?”

“There are no other souls I know of or have ever felt that are like them,” Zenyatta nodded. “They have been changed by their experiences, but I am certain that if we went to find them, we would find the Commanders.”

Genji pursed his lips before he shook his head. “If they were still alive, why wouldn’t they contact us?”

“Because we live in a remote monastery up the ass-end of a mountain in Nepal,” Zenyatta twittered happily. “The fact that we get wifi up here is astonishing to most people.”

Genji let out a snort of laughter and tossed his head back. “Oh no! I’ve corrupted the sweet monk!” he teased before he cupped Zenyatta’s face and pulled him in close. He covered the warm metal in kisses and enjoyed the sound of Zenyatta laughing. “He is sassy and using swear-words! Mondatta will have my head!”

“If you think that you turned me sassy, my sparrow, you are most mistaken,” Zenyatta laughed.

Genji chuckled as he nuzzled his nose against Zenyatta’s face. “I love you,” he murmured. “We should talk with Mondatta about what you’ve felt. Maybe he’ll have an idea of what you’re seeing.”

“That would be wise,” Zenyatta nodded. “I wanted to run it by you first.”

“I appropriate it,” Genji smiled as he took Zenyatta’s hand.

They walked back up to the monastery and darted to the side in time to avoid getting bowled over by Pet as she trained with another group of monks. They waved as she recovered, giggling as she charged at them again and did her best to dodge their attacks. Zenyatta and Genji shared an amused look as they continued on towards Mondatta’s study.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firefight at Deadlock Gorge. And Hanzo cheats just a little bit with her dragons. How rude XD


	7. Chapter 7

Jack knelt down in front of the gravestones and set the bouquet of flowers down. He didn’t know what poor souls were in the graves, but he knew they didn’t deserve to die in order to make his and Gabriel’s death more believable. He stood up and pulled his hat lower over his eyes, glancing at Gabriel beside him. She had a veil over her face to hide the rotting flesh and he could see one of her mouths angrily gnashing at the air.

“It wasn’t your fault,” he murmured.

“I know,” she sighed before she turned towards him. “But I still wonder what would have happened if we had survived. These two certainly wouldn’t be sitting in the wrong graves.”

Jack nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned against his chest, settling her head contently beneath his chin. He closed his eyes, enjoying the closeness that the cool night air allowed them. Dorado was teeming with low-lives looking for easy targets and it was appalling how bad it was getting. They had already been jumped twice since arriving in the early hours of the morning.

“Where do we start?” he asked softly. “There’s so much crime here.”

“We wait until we see something,” she replied. “Then we move. No different than any other job we’ve done.”

“It is different,” he shook his head and turned around, pulling her with him. “I’m getting old.”

“You keep saying that,” she said as she laced their fingers together and squeezed his hand, “but you can still outpace anyone that tries to escape. You’ve got impeccable aim, too.”

“That’s the visor,” he sighed.

He didn’t have to be looking at Gabriel to know that she was rolling her eyes. “Did I mention that you were humble?” she asked. “Because you’re annoyingly humble.”

He smiled at her and shifted her veil to the side so that he could kiss her cheek. One of her additional eyes closed at the contact and she let out a soft noise at the touch. She turned and cupped his cheek, pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss. He pulled her close, sighing against her chin as he returned the kiss.

“Help me back to the safehouse,” he murmured. “I’m having a hard time seeing anything that isn’t right in front of my face.”

Gabriel wrapped her arm around his waist and they started back towards their temporary home. Children ran around them as they left the cemetery. One or two stopped to stare at Jack, but they quickly left when Gabriel told them to. Jack shook his head in amusement until one of them tugged on his arm.

He said something rapidly in Spanish, staring up at Jack in awe. Jack glanced at Gabriel and lifted an eyebrow.

“What he just say?” he asked.

“He asked if you got your scars fighting Los Muertos,” Gabriel replied.

Jack smiled and shook his head. “Tell him I got them when a building collapsed on me.”

Gabriel shot him an amused smile before she spoke to the boy. His big brown eyes widened before he said something and hurried off. Gabriel led Jack over to a bench and made him sit down in spite of his protests.

“He’s getting you something special,” she teased. “He said it’s really good.”

Jack rolled his eyes, but didn’t move. He heard quick footsteps approaching and lifted his head. The child was carrying a bag in front of him, grinning widely as he held it up to Jack. He said something rapidly in Spanish and Jack glanced at Gabriel.

“He says that you deserve something sweet after a life of bitterness,” Gabriel chuckled as she took the bag and opened it. “Ooh, churros! Haven’t had those in a while. _Gracias, hijo_.”

The boy grinned and waved before hurrying off. Gabriel pulled a churro out of the bag and offered it to Jack, smirking. He shook his head and accepted the offering, biting down into the soft, brown-sugar covered treat. He licked his lips at the taste, smiling as Gabriel popped the rest of the treat into her mouth.

“Still prefer donuts,” he teased.

“You speak such horrid blasphemy,” she hissed playfully.

“I could learn to enjoy them,” he said as he pulled another treat out of the bag. “So long as it’s you that’s feeding me.”

“So romantic,” she chuckled as she pulled a custard-filled treat and offered it to him. “You need fattening up anyways.”

“Me?” he demanded with a laugh as he opened his mouth. “I’m not the one regenerating and decomposing at an accelerated rate.”

“Food doesn’t help with that, remember?” she teased as she pushed the treat into his mouth. “I need something else to keep me sane.”

Jack chewed and cupped Gabriel’s cheek. He leaned in close and rested his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and smiled, pressing in against his side.

“You need souls,” he murmured. “Been a while since you had a good feed.”

“Mmm,” she agreed. “I’m trying not to be a murderer, Jack.”

He held her close and offered her a small dough treat. She chuckled as he popped it into her mouth, chewing on it slowly. They sat there on the bench for a long time until someone stormed over.

“Hey!” they shouted.

Jack lifted his head and squinted at the blurry man. “Yes?” he asked.

“What do you think you’re doing, outsider?” the man demanded.

“Sitting on a bench,” Jack replied as he picked up a treat and offered it to Gabriel. “And showering my love with affection.”

“Charmer,” Gabriel smiled as she accepted the treat.

“You bring your plague-riddled wife to our city?” the man snarled.

“It isn’t contagious,” Gabriel replied as she got to her feet. “Leave, kid.”

Jack saw movement and started to get to his feet. He heard the thump of something solid hitting flesh and blinked several times. He really wish he had his visor so he wasn’t quite so useless.

“Gabe?” he asked.

“Kid’s out cold,” Gabriel replied before she looped her arm through his. “Come on. Let’s get back to the room.”

“Wish I’d seen what you did,” he chuckled as he picked up their bag of treats.

“Punched him, nothing special,” she replied. “Come on, darling. We need some privacy.”

Jack followed her, smiling as she held onto his arm tightly. No one else accosted them as they returned to their safehouse. It was pleasant inside the abandoned church and Jack settled down on the bed they had acquired. Gabriel’s clothing misted away and she settled down beside him, sighing as she rubbed over her mottled flesh.

Jack reached up and pulled Gabriel’s close. He kissed her, teasing her mouth open just enough for her to understand what he wanted. She let out a low sigh before gently pulling part of his soul out from his mouth. Jack shivered, whimpering a little at the pain. It ended as quickly as it had started and Gabriel stood up.

“I’m fine,” he said as he got to his feet to follow her. “Gabe….”

“I don’t like using you like that,” she shook her head.

He hugged her around the middle and pulled her in close. “I would rather you take bits and pieces of me than watch you disintegrate at an accelerated rate,” he murmured.

“And if I accidentally kill you?” she growled.

“You won’t,” Jack reassured her and hugged her close. “You won’t allow it to happen.”

“Are you sure?” she asked as she turned to face him. “You don’t even know what I’m fully capable of. I don’t know what I’m fully capable of.”

“I might not know the extent of your abilities, Gabe, but I know you,” Jack said as he cupped her cheek. “And I know without a shadow of a doubt that you will never do anything to kill me. No matter how far gone you are, you will always come back to me.”

Gabriel stared up at him before she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in close. “ _Mi cariño_ ,” she whispered. “ _Te amo_.”

“I love you too,” Jack smiled as he held her close. “To the moon and back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they're finally in Dorado. Now the fun can begin~
> 
> Gabriel's still struggling with some issues thanks to her Reaper-ness, but Jack's there to reassure her that she's perfect no matter what.


	8. Chapter 8

Jesse groaned as he pulled into the gasbar and stretched. Hanzo swung herself off of the hoverbike and stretched, groaning just as loudly as she loosened her stiff muscles. She smiled over her shoulder and winked at him as she headed inside. Jesse smirked as he went to get the fuel for the hoverbike.

He whistled to himself, wondering where they were going to go now that Deadlock Gorge was out of the picture. He was tempted to go visit Santa Fe, but if Deadlock still had a presence there, it was best to avoid it. He was thinking about taking her to see the Grand Canyon and figuring it out from there since they could spend a couple of days camping in the park. He rubbed his jaw as he paid for the fuel, humming softly as he carried it over to the bike.

“So, I picked up a tourist pamphlet inside,” Hanzo smiled as she walked over to him. “Friendly folks behind the counter. They’d never seen a Japanese tourist if they’re to be believed.”

“Well, let’s be fair to them now,” Jesse smiled as he loaded the fuel. “They live out in the middle of nowhere on a stretch of highway really only used by tourists that know about it. Probably haven’t seen a lot of folks that didn’t look like them.”

“Wasn’t saying anything against them,” she smiled as she flipped the pamphlet open. “Lot of national parks. Not sure if you’d want to go.”

“And why do you figure that?” Jesse asked with a chuckle.

“Well, I figured that you’ve had enough roughing it for a life-time,” she chuckled.

“Hey, if it’s with you, I’ll rough it for the rest of my life,” he smiled.

Hanzo smiled at him before handing him a convenience store sub. He happily dug into it, ignoring the way she wrinkled her nose. Food was food and he was hungry. He’d learned not to be picky.

They left after he finished eating, driving down the moonlight-lit highway. Hanzo was seated a bit further back on the bike; he would have liked for her to have her hands around his chest, but she found the position uncomfortable after ten minutes.

The countryside rushed by them as they drove, heading for the closest national park before they continued on to the Grand Canyon. They stopped at a motel along the way to sleep for a few hours, using one of Hanzo’s credit cards to pay for everything. Apparently, the Shimada clan didn’t even care about who was using their cards since they had more money than they knew what to do with. Either that or Hanzo was a terrible, horrible person that was scamming the credit companies. He hoped it was the latter because that would be hilarious.

They slept through most of the day, the poor air conditioning kicking in and out through the heat of the day. Hanzo grumbled about sleeping in an ice bath before they promptly fell back asleep. They woke near sundown and packed up quickly, leaving a small tip on the bedside table for the cleaning staff. Hanzo grumbled a bit about it; tipping was not a thing in Japan; but Jesse knew that minimum wage still sucked ass.

Jesse thought he felt eyes on his back, but he didn’t look up as he started the bike. Hanzo’s arms locked carefully around his waist as he rolled them out of the parking spot.

“Top floor,” she murmured. “Third door to the left.”

He turned the bike around and scanned the top floor from under his visor. He spotted the figure in the window and pursed his lips. They were tall and, from what he could tell from a distance, dressed like an old fashioned bounty hunter. Best to put as much distance between them as possible.

“Probably after my bounty,” he said. “Hold on.”

“Like I can do anything else,” she snorted in his ear.

He roared out onto the highway, keeping his speed within the normal range until the motel was out of sight. Then he gunned it and urged the bike to go faster. He planned on getting to that park as quick as he could and hide out until the bounty hunter got bored. They didn’t like combing the woods for people like him; he knew that from experience.

* * *

 

“I have meditated on what you have said, brother,” Mondatta said as he settled down beside Zenyatta. “I think your intuition and dreams are correct.”

“Genji will not be pleased,” Zenyatta sighed as he turned his head to look at his older brother. “It will be painful for him to hear that Jack and Gabriel are still alive.”

“We do not have solid proof, Zen,” Mondatta shook his head. “Maybe it is best not to get his hopes up.”

Zenyatta let out a soft chuckle as he stared out over the mountain. Mondatta was an amazing individual and Zenyatta valued his opinion, but he didn’t like the thought of keeping something like this from his husband. Genji had viewed Jack and Gabriel as family; knowing that the two of them were in hiding would be heart-breaking, but at least he had hope that they were alive.

“You know I will do what I think is right, brother,” Zenyatta said.

Mondatta looked over at him and he saw the smile in his brother’s optics. “Oh, Zenyatta, I know,” he said. “You are a forceful personality and your soul guides you where you will do the most good. I am envious of that, my brother.”

“Mondatta,” Zenyatta clucked as he reached out to take his brother’s hand. “You know that your words inspired us all. When most of us were confused and scared, you came and helped us to find who we were.”

“I only provided you with the tools,” Mondatta said. “You built your own home.”

“Full of phrases,” Zenyatta teased. “Do you accept any praise?”

“I do,” Mondatta said. “But I know that not all of it is true.”

“I do not speak lightly,” Zenyatta pointed out.

“I know,” Mondatta said. “And I value your word greatly, brother. I will miss you if you leave.”

“I said nothing about leaving,” Zenyatta said. “I do not even know where to begin looking for the commanders. It is best to wait for more information. But, I do not wish to worry you any further. How are the preparations in London going?”

“Not without complications,” Mondatta shook his head. “Null Sector is making all of our efforts ten times harder than they need to be.”

“Terrorists often do,” Zenyatta wished he had a nose to wrinkle.

Null Sector were brutes. He was all for standing up to oppressive governments and demanding rights for those that had none, but Null Sector did not care for anything but destruction. Like all extremists, they dealt in absolutes and left no room for gray areas. They were cruel and relentless, attacking humans and omnics alike. They didn’t care what happened so long as they got to cause pain.

“I wish Overwatch were still together to help with this matter,” Mondatta sighed. “They could have easily subdued them.”

“Not easily,” Zenyatta said. “But they would have helped. There was still anti-omnic sentiments, but Jack and Gabriel refused to let it dictate how they ran the organization. Human or omnic, they would provide help where it was needed.”

“The world is darker for Overwatch’s passing,” Mondatta sighed before he tipped his head to the side. “Genji is returning from his walk with Pet.”

Zenyatta rose to his feet before he turned to hold Mondatta’s hands. “Walk with the Iris,” he said.

“Let Her warmth guide you,” Mondatta replied before he pressed Zenyatta’s hands against his faceplates.

Zenyatta wished they had mouths. It would be nice to kiss his husband properly and not rely on electricity and sparks. Genji loved to cover his plating in kisses, but they did so little when he couldn’t return the affection. Even simple things like what he and Mondatta did to show their affection to one another felt lesser because of a lack of proper contact.

He headed down the path to where he could hear Pet excitedly talking about the eaglets that had finally hatched. He chuckled as he approached, watching Pet squirm in place as she told one of his sisters about the chicks.

“They’re so ugly!” Pet laughed. “Their feathers haven’t really come in yet and they’re just these ugly pink screaming things!”

“Not all creatures are born beautiful,” Zenyatta teased as he walked over. “That beauty comes with time.”

“Organic creatures are so fascinating, uncle!” Pet spun around and clenched her hands near her chest. “I can’t believe all the things they can do! Did you know eaglets could fly at only a few months old?”

“It varies from species to species, but I did,” he said.

“Yah! But predatory mammals are often born furless and blind! Can you imagine how dangerous that must be?” Pet shivered. “Are there books on them in the library, uncle?”

“There should be,” Zenyatta tapped at where a nose would be on his face. “Sister Solestra, why don’t you and Pet go have a look?”

“Of course,” his sister inclined her head. “Come along, Pet.”

“Zen wants to talk to Genji, doesn’t he?” Pet asked as she trotted after the ex-Bastion unit. “He always sends me off when he wants to do that.”

“She’s growing so much,” Genji sighed happily as the pair rounded the corner.

“She is,” Zenyatta agreed. “This is a good place for her. In a few years, she should be physically healed. Mentally, it might take a little longer.”

“But it is a start,” Genji said before he turned towards him. “But she is right; you only send her off with one of your siblings when you want to speak with me alone.”

“Mondatta has gotten back to me about my visions,” Zenyatta said. “He thinks I may be right.”

Genji’s lips pursed together. “So…Jack and Gabriel…?”

“May be alive,” Zenyatta said. “Genji….”

Genji lifted a hand with his index finger raised. He let out a choked sound before he turned away. Zenyatta stepped closer and gently wrapped his arms around Genji’s chest. He pressed his head against Genji’s shoulder, listening to Genji’s stuttered breathing.

“They’re alive,” he whispered.

“I do not know for certain,” Zenyatta said. “But it is very likely.”

“I can’t believe it,” Genji shook his head. “Then who…who…?”

“Ssh,” Zenyatta gently took Genji’s hands and squeezed them. “Genji, don’t go down those dark roads yet. Let this news settle and think it over. I am here for you, my love.”

“I know, Zen,” Genji said. “But…can I have some time alone?”

“Of course,” Zenyatta stepped back. He gently cupped Genji’s cheek and rubbed his thumb against his cheekbone. “But if you are up on your perch for more than an hour, I am knocking your ass off of it and dragging you inside.”

“I will keep that in mind, you aggressively affectionate monk,” Genji laughed.

Zenyatta tipped his head to the side and flared his optics in a smile. Genji leaned in and kissed where his nose would be before he turned and walked away. Zenyatta watched him hop and climb up to the perch where he and Hanzo would meditate for hours. He vented a soft sigh before he settled down to keep his husband in sight while seeing where his mind would wander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens~ sort of. Jesse's just got a bounty hunter on his ass. One that seems to have a flair for the dramatic like him. Hmm.


	9. Chapter 9

“Los Muertos is a cancer on this city!”

Gabriel lifted her head and watched Jack storm across the room. He threw his glasses onto the table and pushed a hand up into his thinning white hair. Gabriel could see tears forming at the corners of her mate’s eyes and got to her feet.

“Jack, _mi rey_ , what’s wrong?” she asked as she walked forward.

“Those, those _bastards_ were beating some omnic in the street,” Jack growled. “I couldn’t see how many, but I kept hearing metal being struck and…and!”

“Ssh,” Gabriel hugged him close and gently kissed over his face. “Jack, you can’t save everyone.”

“Why not?” he snarled. “What’s the point of being a vigilante if I can’t save everyone?”

“Jack,” she shook her head. “Breathe, my love.”

Jack closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. She held him close, running her fingers through his hair as she slowly backed up to the bed. He followed without a word, curling up with his head in her lap as soon as they were on the bed.

She understood his frustration. Her excursions into town left her feeling useless and helpless. She had been accosted in the streets by a group of gangsters, but they had backed off when she had broken one man’s nose and shattered the hand of another. They had fled with warning shouts over their shoulder, but she knew that other people were not so lucky.

People were beaten, robbed, and threatened on the daily. Los Muertos had the city in a stranglehold and were not going to let go easily. She worried for Jack; she could fight them unrelentingly, but Jack had limits. And could still be killed.

“Tonight,” she murmured. “We wait until tonight. Then we begin the fight.”

“Good,” Jack growled. “Good.”

* * *

 

Jack followed from the shadows. His visor burned in the darkness, but the gangsters didn’t seem to notice him. They had been beating on another omnic when he left his hideaway, but Gabriel would handle their care. He had the joy of taking care of these punks while Gabriel did the public work.

He grabbed one man from the shadows and slammed him into the wall, stunning him while his friend yelped in surprise. He tried to bolt, but Jack grabbed him and slammed a fist into the side of his face. He didn’t notice the stunned man stumble away and flop down on the ground. It hardly mattered.

He managed to grab the man that he’d punched, but he was more lucid than Jack had assumed. A fist connected with his chin and the man scrambled to get away. Jack’s ears rang from the impact, but he followed. Now he was pissed.

The man tripped and fell to the ground, screeching for mercy as Jack grabbed him by the leg. He dragged him back into the darkness and he heard the man’s nails carve away the cobblestones. Cold shivers ran repeatedly up and down his spine at the sound and the thought of his own nails being dragged over something like that. There were few things worse than the sound of nails on a hard surface.

He heard men moving down the alley and quickly punched the man out. He groaned as Jack dragged him away, keeping an eye on the two brutes walking down the alley. Could they look any more stereotypical if they tried? A child with only the most basic understanding of the world would know that they were big mean men. He heard them talking, hauling their downed friend to his feet. Jack glanced down at the man at his feet and smirked. Time for the fun to start.

He picked the man up and threw him as hard as he could at the group. The man sailed past them and slammed into a junction box. The lighting in the alley flickered and went out, revealing the neon, glow-in-the-dark body-paint Los Muertos was famous for. The three men fearfully grabbed weapons, looking around for the source of their torment.

“Enough games, _perro_ ,” the one with the rat-tail shouted. “Come out and fight!”

Well, if he insisted. Jack’s visor powered up and he stepped forward. The brute turned around and Jack punched him in the face, not giving him a moment to think. It was a blur of motion and violence after that.

Jack reacted instinctively, slamming the much weaker and more human brutes around. He didn’t hold back, throwing all of his enhanced weight and anger into every punch. He caught a spinning baseball bat at one point and slammed it into another goons face after knocking it out of another one’s hands with a hard elbow to the face. One tried to grab him from behind, but Jack easily dealt with him, throwing him even as he begged for Jack not to.

Rat-tail ran at him, but Jack caught his arm. Hanzo’s lesson came back in stark clarity in that moment and he used the man’s momentum against him. He slammed the man face-first into the wall, smirking at the satisfying crunch his skull made as it connected with the stucco. He looked up and caught sight of another goon at the end of the alley hauling boxes. He let out a low growl and let Rat-tail slump to the ground.

The man dropped his box and whistled, leaping into the back of the truck. Jack had a full five seconds to wonder what the hell the man was doing before he lifted a huge Gatling gun out of a box of piñatas. Jack would have sworn if he wasn’t busy darting for cover. Who the fuck let these idiots anywhere near a gun of that caliber?!

He pressed his back against the wall as the bullets flew past him. Idiot wasn’t even bothering to conserve ammo and was just firing willy-nilly in the hopes that Jack would dance out into the bullets. Didn’t help that there were guys up on the roof firing down at him now too. Not one of them was aiming; just firing down and hoping to hit something. Sure, it was a good strategy in theory, but there were so many wasted bullets. He took a moment to breathe and cocked his rifle for a helix rocket before he rolled out into the hailstorm.

He rolled forward and braced himself. The bullets were flying around him in a wide circle, leaving the center completely unscathed. He almost felt bad for the idiot on the truck; he didn’t know how to use the gun he was handling. He fired the rockets and the truck at the end of the alleyway exploded. Poor sucker.

The men on the roof were still firing, so Jack got a running start and leapt up and off of a trashcan. His targeting visor activated, zeroing in on the three men. He adjusted his aim as he twisted in the air, aiming for their hands to knock the weapons free. He fired three times and fell, hard, onto the lid of another dumpster. The men fell from the roof, dazed and disarmed, and slammed against the cobblestones.

Rat-Tail was just waking up and struggling to crawl away. He was whimpering a mantra of “no” and Jack felt nothing but anger and hatred for this man. He’d watched this man gleefully beat an omnic in the street, attempt to corral a young girl into joining him and his cronies, and then participated in robbing her. Now this bastard was begging for mercy? Not a fucking chance.

He grabbed a burning piñata off the ground and stalked over to Rat-Tail. The man let out a desperate squeal of “please” before Jack started beating his head with the piñata.

“These aren’t your streets anymore,” he snarled, punctuating each word with a powerful blow to the man’s head.

He heard a startled scream and looked up. The girl, the one that had been robbed, dropped to the ground and started scrambling away. Had she witnessed everything? Points for her for remaining undetected this whole time and not getting hit by a stray bullet.

“No, no please, I…!” she whimpered.

“GET ON THE TRUCK, LET’S GO!” someone shouted behind him as he heard hover tires squeal across the cobblestone.

The goons scrambled to their feet and raced for the truck. Apparently, they were a lot tougher than Jack gave them credit for. Either that or he was really losing his touch; he hoped it was the former. Jack snarled and started chasing after them.

“You don’t get off that easy!” he shouted.

“Eat this!” one of the goons said with a wide grin.

A grenade hit the ground near his feet and rolled past him. He spun to follow its path and felt his heart lurch as it rolled to a stop at the girl’s feet. She screamed in fear, scrambling backwards away from the ticking grenade. The truck pulled away with the goons cackling in delight and Jack took a step after them.

‘Save her!’ his mind screeched as he heard her scream. ‘What are you doing?!’

Jack spun around and ran as fast as he could towards the girl. Please let him have enough time!

* * *

 

Gabriel saw the explosion rise over the rooftops and felt her heart stop. That was where Jack had been, she was sure of it. That explosion…oh no.

“No,” she whispered. “No, no, no.”

She ran as fast as she could, her heels giving way to bare feet. The heels were good when dealing with people, giving them the illusion of a woman out for an early evening stroll. They were impractical for running. At least her dress was loose around the legs and didn’t get in her way.

She ghosted up the side of a building and raced along the rooftops. Where was he? Was he alright? What had happened to her poor, darling Jack?

She spotted two bodies on the ground and felt the air rush out of her. It was Jack and some little girl. She could see the shrapnel burns in Jack’s jacket and knew that he was going to be severely wounded. At least he was alive.

She ghosted down the building as Jack got to his feet, carefully lifting the girl into a sitting position. Gabriel hurried forward, tears burning her eyes as Jack stumbled back and clutched his side.

“ _Carño_ ,” she said as she grabbed his face. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Grenade,” Jack growled. “Fuck. Ow.”

“Ssh, ssh, I got you,” Gabriel soothed as she nuzzled his cheek. “You’re okay.”

“You…you saved me,” the girl whispered, looking up at them both with wide brown eyes. “Why?”

Jack jerked away from her and the girl flinched, drawing her hand up against her throat protectively. Gabriel rolled her eyes at the display; really, Jack? This eleven year old was hardly a member of Los Muertos. There was no reason to act so brutish towards her.

“Old habits die hard, I guess,” Jack grunted before he pulled a weird little fish coinpurse out of his back pocket. “Run home, kid. It ain’t safe out here.”

He tossed the coinpurse to the girl and she caught it with a soft gasp. She looked at her feet for a moment before she stared at Jack as if an angel had just descended from heaven in front of her. Gabriel smirked as Jack drew back nervously, turning quickly to grab his rifle off the ground. He tried to hurry away as quickly as he could, but the girl called after him.

“You’re one of those heroes, aren’t you?” the girl shouted.

Jack stopped and glanced over his shoulder. Gabriel set a hand on her hip and lifted an eyebrow, tipping her head to the side. Her sombrero almost fell off of her head, but Jack would understand her meaning. He couldn’t just leave her question unanswered.

“Not anymore,” Jack said before he continued into the smoke that had yet to settle from the grenade blast.

And people had the nerve to say that she was extra. Oh, Jack, you dramatic little fucking drama queen. You’re lucky she loved you as much as she did.

“I think you are,” the girl sighed dreamily.

“I do too,” Gabriel agreed before she turned to look at the child. “Now, you listen to the old man and get yourself home. I’m sure you Mama is worried sick about you. These streets aren’t safe anymore.”

“Are you and he going to take back our streets?” the girl asked excitedly. “He said that the streets didn’t belong to Los Muertos anymore…while he was beating Angelo over the head with a piñata.”

“He…a piñata?” Gabriel blinked at the girl.

She nodded. “It was burning.”

Gabriel clapped her hands together and held them in front of her nose. Holy fuck, she wanted to cackle so badly at her mate. He’d beaten a man over the head with a burning piñata. He was being so extra and she loved it! She was going to torment her beloved as soon as they were back in their safehouse. A fucking piñata!

“We’re going to try,” she said after a moment. “Anyone asks, let them know that _E_ _l Soldado_ and _La Muerta_ are going to rid the streets of those scumbags.”

“I will!” the girl promised. “Thank you so much!”

Gabriel smiled as the girl turned and hurried out of the alleyway. Such a sweet girl; she hoped they met again. She turned and walked into the smoke, finding her mate easily enough.

“You drama queen,” she teased as she kissed his forehead. “Get that jacket off and let me see your side.”

* * *

 

Jack watched the girl hurry back into the bakery, chattering excitedly about what had happened to her on her errand. Gabriel was standing beside him, grinning under the candy-skull makeup she had on her face.

“Don’t,” he growled.

“What?” she asked sweetly. “I think it’s sweet that she thinks of you as a hero.”

“I’m not,” he snapped.

He started to turn away and she caught his cheek in her palm. She stepped closer, tipping her massive sombrero back so that it covered both of them. He thought she looked good cosplaying La Muerta, but he worried about the practicality of it in a real fight. It didn’t exactly give her a lot of room to move.

“Jack, you saved her life,” Gabriel said. “You risked your life to go up against a gang of men that would kill you without a second thought. What would you call that?”

“Suicidal tendencies,” Jack said as he tried to step away.

Her eyes narrowed and she grabbed him by the facemask. “You stubborn old man,” she growled. “You never stopped being a hero. God give me strength to not beat you over the head with your gun.”

“Gabe,” he groaned.

“None of that,” Gabriel dropped her hands to her hips. “Why are you being so hard on yourself all of a sudden?”

“I hesitated,” he snapped. “I hesitated in saving her life.”

“But you did,” Gabriel shook her head. “Jack, I….”

Jack turned away and tucked his head down against his chest, lifting his shoulders up against a breeze that didn’t exist. She stopped talking and followed him, slipping her hand into his in the pocket of his jacket. She squeezed his hand before wrapping them both in shadows and carrying them across the rooftops back to their temporary home.

She let the topic drop, but he knew she would bring it up again. He wasn’t a hero. He was just an old man with some genetic alterations that kept him going when anyone else would have been dead. It made him special, but not a hero.

He crawled into bed after he’d stripped out of his clothing, curling up naked under the covers. Gabriel pressed in against his back, wrapping her arms around his chest and tucking her face against his shoulder. She nosed his jaw before she gently began singing a lullaby. Jack closed his eyes and let her voice carry him away from the waking world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I ever mentioned that "Soldier" is my favourite of the Overwatch shorts? Because it's my favourite of the Overwatch shorts. It is amazing and beautiful and holy shit is Jack Morrison a badass XD I cheated just a little bit rewriting it, but since I wrote the "Dragons" short in the first part of the series, I figure it's fine~ XD


	10. Chapter 10

Camp wasn’t anything special. A tent, a little firepit, and something to keep the bugs from swarming. Hanzo thought it was oddly adorable, a perfect little hideaway for them while they explored the park. Jesse was still fast asleep in the tent, his snores loud but comforting. Hanzo kissed his cheek before slipping out of the tent to go relieve her bladder.

She realized she was being followed on her way back to camp. She slowed down, scanning her surroundings. She spotted her attacker a few seconds before they slammed into her and managed to get her hand clenched in their shirt. She brought her feet up to push the assailant over her head, but they held fast to her hair.

She snarled as they rolled across the ground. The attacker’s hat tumbled off their head and gray-streaked, shoulder length brown hair tumbled in her face. Hanzo swung a punch, but the other woman grabbed it and headbutted her. Hanzo groaned in pain, stars dancing in front of her eyes as the other woman hauled her to her feet.

She was slammed against a tree, the front of her shirt balled in the woman’s fists. “Now, care to tell me what yer doin’ out here?” the woman growled.

“Fuck you,” Hanzo growled.

“Hun, I’m sure you’d love to, but I don’t swing that way,” the woman grinned viciously.

Hanzo blinked at the woman’s eyes. They were…no, that wasn’t possible. It had to be a coincidence.

“Oiy!” Jesse shouted as he came charging through the underbrush. “Put ‘er down!”

“Well look who finally decided to roll outta bed?” the woman snorted as she dropped Hanzo to the ground. “Never took ya as a late sleeper, puddin’.”

Jesse came to a stop and blinked at the woman. “Van?” he asked.

“Who else is gunna come huntin’ fer yer useless ass out in the ass end-a nowhere?” the woman snorted.

“Someone want to fill me in?” Hanzo asked as she held her head. “Oh, dragons, that hurt.”

“Hanzo, this is Vanessa. Van, this is Hanzo, my girlfriend.”

“Oh,” the woman chirped. “Sorry about that, hun. Thought ya mighta been tottin’ my little brother around in hopes of turnin’ him in.”

Hanzo’s head snapped up. “Little brother?” she parroted.

Vanessa gave her a blank look before she rounded on Jesse. Jesse had an inch of height on her, but he still managed to look cowed under the glare. That was equal parts embarrassing and hilarious.

“You never told yer girlfriend about yer siblings?” she demanded.

“Siblings? As in plural?” Hanzo stared at Jesse. “What the hell?!”

“It never came up in conversation! Jack never mentioned ya either!” Jesse yelped.

“Jack had an organization to run, shit fer brains,” Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest. “And yes, Hanzo; plural. Older brother out in L.A running a tech company. State of the art shit; real expensive and real purty. Likes his privacy.”

Hanzo climbed slowly to her feet, holding her head as she glared at Jesse. “I can’t believe you never told me you had siblings,” she growled. “Come on, Vanessa. We’re about to have breakfast.”

“You sit tight, hun; I knocked ya around good. I’ll do the cookin’,” Vanessa smiled as she looped an arm around Hanzo’s shoulders. “Don’t know what you see in my kid brother.”

“He grew on me,” Hanzo smirked as they walked past Jesse.

“You would get along with her,” Jesse whined. “Thank Christ you ain’t a lesbian.”

“I wouldn’t try to steal your girl anyways, Jesse,” Vanessa shook her head. “I ain’t an asshole. Well, that big-a one anyways.”

Hanzo laughed as she took a seat by the firepit. Vanessa had a fire going in no time, whistling as she set a cast iron frying pan over the flames and started cooking up ham, potatoes, and eggs. Jesse returned to camp with some fresh wildberries, grinning as he dumped his shirt-load into a bucket for them all to share.

“So, Van, what brings you this far from Texas?” Jesse asked.

“Makin’ sure my idiot brother was still free,” Vanessa replied as she popped a dark blue berry into her mouth. “Heard a lot of talk about you bein’ hunted down in the area around Santa Fe and got worried.”

“Aw,” Jesse smiled. “You were worried about lil ol’ me?”

“Yes,” Vanessa glared at him. “You have the self-preservation of a grouse. And when you wound up at the same motel as me with some strange woman in tow, I thought you’d been caught.”

“Ah, yah; never did get around to finding that new number-a yers,” Jesse smiled.

“You were off the grid?” Hanzo asked.

“Mission went sour about a year before Overwatch went belly-up,” Vanessa shook her head. “Gabe thought it was best to lay low. Took up bounty huntin’ in Texas to make a cover and turns out I’m damn good at it.”

“And you and Jack?” Hanzo asked.

“Saw him like a big brother,” Vanessa smiled. “Don’t worry about him not talkin’ to ya about me; he’s good at keepin’ his mouth shut. Wouldn’t have mentioned anythin’ since he knew I was safe.”

“You worked with Blackwatch?” Hanzo asked.

“On occasion,” Vanessa said. “I was stationed mostly in Grand Mesa as the leading criminal psychologist.”

Hanzo gawked at the woman. “Seriously?”

“Yup,” Vanessa shot her a grin. “Got a fancy little ‘Ph.D’ on the end of my name.”

“That’s amazing!” Hanzo grinned. “What’s it like working with Overwatch with qualifications like that?”

“Amazin’,” Vanessa sighed. “Best work-a my life. Helped get so many people’s lives turned around, mine included.”

“Overwatch is good at that,” Hanzo agreed. “Will you head back to Texas now that you know Jesse’s okay?”

“Probably go see how Tom’s doin’,” she said as she dumped food onto plates and handed them out. “Haven’t heard from him in a little while. Want to make sure he’s takin’ his meds.”

“Oh, he finally got somethin’ fer his depression?” Jesse asked.

Vanessa nodded and popped a potato into her mouth. “He’s flighty with it though; on and off it depending on how he’s doin’. Boy needs a keeper.”

“You could stay with him,” Hanzo said as she chewed on the ham.

“I could,” she agreed. “But you don’t know Tom. Real independent and would just be insulted that I didn’t think he could look after himself.”

“Which he can’t,” Hanzo smirked.

“You got a big brother?” Vanessa smirked at him.

“Jack,” Hanzo tipped her head to the side.

“That bastard adopted another sister and didn’t tell me!” Vanessa growled. “Fuckin’ asshole. I can’t even box his ear for that.” She let out a long sigh before she shook her head. “Anyways, older brothers are damn stubborn, at least if their last name’s ‘McCree’. Couldn’t get him to take a shower if he didn’t want to.”

“Seeing a familiar face should help,” Jesse shrugged. “We’ll swing over to L.A when we can and drop by his house. Still livin’ in the same area?”

“He is,” Vanessa nodded. “Now, enough talk of that shit. Tell me about my adorable little sister and how you managed to convince her to date yer sorry ass.”

“Love you too, you bitch,” Jesse pouted.

Vanessa winked and pointed a finger-gun at him. “You know it.”

* * *

 

Hanzo frowned as her cellphone went off. She answered it as soon as she saw that it was Genji’s number.

“Hey,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk,” Genji said. “How’s your battery?”

“Fully charged,” Hanzo said. “Genji?”

“Hanzo…Zenyatta thinks Jack and Gabriel might still be alive,” he said.

Hanzo sat up straight and stared ahead. Vanessa and Jesse looked at her, both of them tilting their heads in the same direction. They looked like a pair of brown-furred foxes waiting for a mouse to move under the snow. Hanzo would have smiled if her head wasn’t spinning.

“That’s impossible,” she said. “Genji, I…I’m going to put you on speaker-phone. Jesse needs to hear this. Don’t freak out at the other woman’s voice; she’s a friend.”

She flipped the setting over and lifted her phone up with the mouth piece turned towards the other two. “Repeat what you said.”

“Zenyatta thinks that Gabriel and Jack may still be alive,” Genji said.

“What?” Jesse demanded.

“Sonnovabitch,” Vanessa growled.

“Mondatta thinks there is some weight to his idea,” Genji added. “I…I don’t know what to think.”

Hanzo closed her eyes and gently rubbed at her forehead. Jack and Gabriel, still alive? It was almost too good to be true. It was damn near impossible, but what if they were? She’d never seen Jack’s body; the casket had been sealed shut to keep him from being desecrated. If they were still alive, why hadn’t they contacted them? Why hadn’t they said anything?

“Gabriel was decapitated; there’s no way she survived,” Hanzo said after a moment.

“You sure?” Vanessa frowned.

“I was the one that found them in the rubble,” Hanzo shuddered and covered her mouth.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“And Jack?” Genji asked.

“Never did get to see the body after it was rushed to medical,” Jesse said slowly. “Could be possible he’s still alive.”

“If he is, he would be one pissed soldier,” Vanessa shook her head. “Jack loved Gabriel with all-a his heart. If Gabe’s gone, he would-a torn wherever he was apart. Might not be the Jack we knew walkin’ around.”

“Who is that?” Genji asked.

“Jesse’s sister.”

“JESSE HAS A SISTER?!” Genji shrieked. “The fucking hell, dude?!”

“And he’s got an older brother, too,” Hanzo smirked.

“JESSE McCREE! I AM KICKING YOUR ASS WHEN I FIND YOU!” Genji shouted. “You had siblings and you didn’t tell me?!”

“I’ve already given him the what-for,” Vanessa laughed. “Nice to meet you. Genji, was it? Old Japanese name, right?”

“Very old,” Genji agreed. “Same with Hanzo. I really don’t know what our father was thinking naming us like this.”

“You’re implying that he was thinking at all,” Hanzo snorted.

“Ooh, issues with the old man?” Vanessa grimaced.

“I killed him, if that helps sort it out,” Hanzo smirked.

“Ooh,” Vanessa pursed her lips. “Well, ain’t that just a shit deal? Sorry yer pa was that much of an asshole.”

“Ours wasn’t much better,” Jesse murmured.

Vanessa opened her mouth and Hanzo watched the snarl play across her face. She snapped her jaw shut just as fast, grinding her teeth together in frustration. Hanzo glanced at Jesse, but he shook his head. Some things were better left unsaid, it would seem.

“Still, if Jack’s alive, there’s some hope in the world,” Vanessa said. “That man won’t let injustice go unpunished.”

“And if Gabriel isn’t there to keep him stable, would he even think to contact us?” Genji asked.

“Probably not,” Jesse lit up a cigarillo and took a deep drag. “He’ll be lookin’ fer answers. Want to know why Gabe died and who orchestrated it. Would love to help him.”

“As would I,” Hanzo sighed and rubbed at her eyes. “Genji, get a hold of Reinhardt and Lena. Let them know what’s going on. Call Torbjörn and Angela if you get the chance too.”

“Right,” Genji sighed. “You be careful, okay?”

“I will,” she promised. “Take care.”

She hung up and dropped her head into her hands. “I need to sleep,” she said as she got to her feet.

“I’ll be right there,” Jesse promised.

She smiled and ducked into the tent. She curled up under the blanket on their cot and tucked her nose under her arm. Jesse crawled in beside her a little while later, murmuring that Vanessa was continuing on to L.A.

“Love you,” Hanzo murmured softly.

“Love you too,” Jesse replied. “Just sleep, okay? We’ll worry about everything in the morning.”

Hanzo smiled and closed her eyes. She tucked her face into his chest and tried to relax. If Jack was alive, she would find him and kick his ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's getting in retrospectively? Yup, the McCrees XD Bet y'all are sick to death of my OCs at this point, but they're about the only thing helping me get through this part of the story.
> 
> And now everyone will know that Jack might be alive. They're all iffy about Gabe because of the whole decapitation thing, but they'll see~


	11. Chapter 11

Gabriel frowned as her comm-link went off. She reached up and touched it, running her fingers soothingly through Jack’s white hair. Her mask materialized across her face before she answered. Best to have the voice modulator for these calls.

“Reaper here,” she said.

“Reaper, I have a job offer for you,” one of her Talon contacts said. “Where are you at the moment?”

“Mexico,” she replied. “Have a few jobs down here. What is your boss offering?”

“A large sum of money to help some new clients deal with a problem they’ve been having,” the contact replied. “In Dorado.”

“New clients?” Gabriel asked carefully. “Los Muertos, I assume?”

“Yes,” the contact said. “Their informants have started delivering terrible information to them and they want answers. You’re to go and put your…talents to the test. We will compensate you handsomely.”

“Wire the money to the account; I’ll meet your friends shortly.”

She hung up after the contact gave her the rallying point. She kissed Jack’s forehead and got to her feet, sighing heavily. He lifted his head, blind eyes following her with some difficulty.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Job,” she replied. “We need the money.”

Jack closed his eyes. “Alright,” he whispered. “Be safe.”

“It’s an interrogation; I’ll be fine,” she soothed as her Reaper attire wrapped around her. “You lie low.”

“Understood,” Jack forced a smile to his face. “Gabe…you aren’t a monster.”

“I am,” she replied. “But I’m a monster on my terms. I love you.”

She collapsed into smoke and slipped out through the window. It took her an hour to find the Talon agents and the Los Muertos goons. The goons balked at the sight of her, scrambling away as the Talon agents shifted uncomfortably. No one liked dealing with her and that was what she wanted. She was good at her job and that terrified everyone. It made them work to stay on her good side.

“Reaper,” one of the agents saluted. “The informant is inside. Shall we?”

“Let’s get this over with,” Gabriel growled as she breezed past the agents. “This is as much a waste of your time as it is mine.”

The informant was tied to a chair in a dimly lit room. Whoever had tied him up clearly had an adoration for cinematic idiocy. This was not the way to get someone to tell you the information that you want. It’s a good way to get them to say what you want to hear, but nothing else. Still, at least they had a seat for her.

She spun the chair around so that she could sit with the back between her and the informant and lowered herself onto it. The man’s eyes were trembling in his head and he was chewing on his lower lip. Absolutely terrified. This had better be worth her time.

“Please, I don’t know anything,” the informant whimpered.

“Can you be trusted with that?” Reaper asked. She tilted her head to the side. “My friends tell me that you have been withholding information. Or was it that you weren’t doing your job?”

The informant shook his head. Reaper reached out and dragged a claw down his cheek. He screamed, thrashing in his binds as a tiny bit of his soul was forcefully removed from his body. He sobbed and thrashed, staring at her with big, brown watery eyes.

“Please,” he sobbed. “Please! I don’t know anything.”

“I wouldn’t have been brought here if that were true,” Reaper said. “Keep lying to me and you won’t live to see the next sunrise.”

The man sobbed hopelessly, shaking his head. “Please, please!”

“Stop playing nice,” one of the goons snapped. “He knows where the Soldier’s hiding.”

“The who?” Reaper turned her head to look at him.

“The Soldier,” the goon repeated. “This bastard keeps interrupting our jobs.”

Reaper let out a soft snort and tipped her head to the side. “One person is interrupting your jobs? That sounds more like incompetence on your part,” she said.

The goon glared at her but she ignored him as she turned back to the man. “Tell us where this Soldier is hiding,” she said.

“Please,” the man shook his head.

“Where is the Soldier?” she repeated.

The man closed his eyes before he tried to surge to his feet. “He’s hiding in the old chapel,” he screamed. “He lets his girlfriend, La Muerta, fuck him in the ass! He’s nothing but an old, perverted man! Please, that’s all I know!”

Reaper let her eyes slide towards the Los Muertos men. “Do you need him alive?” she asked.

“No,” the goon said. “Why?”

Reaper snorted before grabbing the man by the throat and hurling him against the wall. The man screamed and the chair shattering on impact. Reaper stalked over, snarling furiously because this man had been spying on them, watching them make love, and preparing to rat them out to Los Muertos for the best price. And he had the nerve to call her darling Jack a pervert!

“Please!” the man sobbed as he tried to crawl away.

“Keep begging,” she sneered. “Maybe someone will take pity on your worthless life.”

She grabbed him by the hair and wrenched his head back, forcing him to look her in the eye. She let her mask melt away, revealing the mottled, disintegrating face beneath. The man stared in horror as she leaned closer and pressed her lips to his ear.

“You won’t live to insult my darling ever again,” she whispered.

She drove her talons into the man’s chest and twisted, grinning widely as she heard his ribs and sternum shatter. The man screamed and she clamped her lips over his, greedily drawing his soul out of him. His blood pattered to the floor beneath them as Gabriel’s form dissolved into a black cloud while she fed. The soul was delicious, fueling her cells as she reduced the informant to a wasted husk.

She rose to her feet and turned, striding past the stunned agents and goons. “You have your information,” she said as her mask hid all traces of her face and voice. “Do with it as you wish.”

She strode outside and headed up to the roof, touching her commlink. “Sombra?”

“On it,” Sombra replied. “You stick with the agents. I’ll go save your boy-toy.”

“Don’t ever let him hear you call him that,” Gabriel chuckled. “You’ll break his sweet little heart.”

“Sweet? Reaper, I heard what he did to Angelo; he beat him over the head with a fucking piñata! That’s not sweet!” Sombra cackled.

“That Angelo bastard deserved it,” Gabriel said. “Just make sure….”

“I know. He’ll be okay.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel sighed heavily. “Thank you.”

* * *

 

“Come on, Gramps; on your feet.”

Jack jolted awake at the hand roughly shaking his shoulder. He reached for his gun, angling himself away from whoever was touching him. He heard the person snort at him and draw away.

“Come on, _cabrón_ ; we don’t have time for this,” they said.

That voice. He knew that voice. Gabriel dealt with them a lot. What was their codename again?

“Sombra,” he said. “Did…she…?”

“Yah; Los Muertos and Talon know where you’re hiding out,” Sombra replied. “Come on.”

“Visor,” Jack grunted as he pulled his shirt on and got to his feet.

“Are you…oh, right,” Sombra groaned. “Here.”

He took the visor and slipped it into place. He glared at the girl sporting Los Muertos’ style, but knew that there was no one that Gabriel trusted more than the hacker. Sombra had proven her worth time and time again. He could trust her. For now at least.

“Where we heading?” he asked as he pulled his jacket on and snapped his boots into place.

“Out over the rooves,” she said. “We’ll figure out the where after.”

“Not a plan I like the sounds of,” he growled as he slung his rifle over his back. “You have a gun.”

“Yup.”

“Good; let’s move.”

Sombra skittered ahead of him, her weird shoes barely making a sound as she scrambled up the side of the building. Jack followed as quickly as he could, scanning the area closely. He didn’t want any of the gangsters or terrorists to catch them off guard. Somehow, he didn’t think that was going to be much help to them.

“Shit,” Sombra hissed suddenly.

He saw her lose her footing and he reached for her. She fell a short distance, but he grabbed her wrist and held on. She couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred and thirty pounds; he’d carried worse. She cursed softly, brown eyes wide as her feet scrambled at the wall.

“Calm down,” he ordered. “Deep breaths, then grab my wrist and push your feet forward.”

“You done this before, Gramps?” Sombra laughed as she grabbed his wrist.

“More times than you can count,” he replied as he helped haul her up. “Those shoes are ridiculous.”

“Yah, but they work,” she smirked before her eyes got big. “Oh shit; down!”

She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him to the rooftop. The explosion sent both of them sailing into space. Jack grabbed her and tucked her body in against his. He rolled, bouncing off of the cobblestones as bits of debris rained down around them.

“Ow,” he grunted as he slowly sat up.

“You are in a habit of saving girls from explosions,” Sombra laughed nervously as she sat up. “We’re fucked.”

Jack watched the goons emerge from the shadows and nodded. “Yup.”

“Sorry,” she apologized as she helped him to his feet.

“If you shoot me,” he growled.

“She doesn’t need to,” Reaper growled in his ear before a shotgun dug into the small of his back. “Don’t move,” she added. “Just wait and trust me.”

Jack let out a low snort as he stayed perfectly still. This was going to end badly for everyone involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit's about to get very real for Jack and Gabe. Oh dear. And hey! Look who finally made an appearance.


	12. Chapter 12

“Should have known Sombra would turn on us,” one of the goons growled.

“Told you boys from the start that I’d go to whoever paid more for my information,” Sombra shrugged as she kept her hands raised. “Not my fault you decided to try to jip me out of my hard-earned cash.”

“Sombra, might not be a good idea to sass the men holding the AKs,” Jack grit out.

She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but Jack could see the tremble in her shoulders. She was scared. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen and, from what he’d gleaned from Gabriel’s dealings with her, she didn’t like surprises. He hoped they weren’t going to be surprised by death’s loving embrace.

“Might want to listen to the old man,” one of the goons grinned. “You the little girlfriend he lets peg him?”

Jack shot a glance over his shoulder at Reaper and she moved her shoulders slightly. There was a story behind that and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what was going on. Someone clearly had seen him and Gabriel having sex, but he didn’t know how someone would see Sombra and think “that’s the lady” when Gabriel’s hair was thick, long, and curly.

“Ew,” Sombra said.

“Thanks,” Jack rolled his eyes.

“Ew,” Sombra repeated with a shudder. “Just, no. No.”

Jack shot her a glare; he wasn’t that ugly, thanks. Reaper snickered in his ear and teased a hand against his ass.

“Darling, I don’t think she likes the thought of being near this gorgeous ass,” she teased quietly.

“No shit there, Sherlock,” he grumbled.

“Hey, Reaper, why don’t you do that fancy soul-draining thing on the old man?” one of the goons cackled.

“Now that is an idea,” Reaper growled as she wrenched Jack’s head up. “It’s not like he needs a soul being as ancient as he is.”

Jack growled before he was slammed against the wall. He struggled, making it look believable as Reaper’s mask melted away. Gabriel smirked at him, pressing in close as her body started collapsing into smoke and ash. She teased his facemask off, growling playfully as she shifted just enough to hide him grabbing his sidearm.

“Can you see?” she asked quietly.

“Just enough,” he replied as he took careful aim. “Don’t solidify, whatever you do.”

Gabriel chuckled before her mouth clamped tightly over his. He fired five times, aiming for where he remembered the goons standing. His toes were curling in his boots and his cock strained in his pants as Gabriel sucked out just enough of his soul to leave him lightheaded. He heard bodies drop to the ground and Sombra whistled.

“Wow, old man; nice shots,” she laughed.

“And you say you can’t aim without your visor,” Gabriel teased as she solidified. “Didn’t scare you, did I?”

“Of course not,” Jack shook his head. “I know you’d never kill me, _mi reina_.”

Sombra made a loud gagging sound and pointed her finger into her mouth. Gabriel half-turned towards her and snorted.

“Oh, shut up, child,” she clucked her tongue. “We have to get moving. You know a place we can hide out until this blows over?”

“I know a few places,” Sombra nodded. “Keep up.”

* * *

 

Vanessa tipped back her corkscrew and watched the bar. Her mind was spinning with the information she had. Jack Morrison, the man she had looked up to as a brother for as long as she had worked officially with Overwatch, the man that she had been told from reliable sources was dead, was still alive. Supposedly, according to a Shambali monk.

She wasn’t big on spiritualism or religion. Sure, she’d cuss out Jesus and God, but that was because she knew those words had more impact on everyone else. She was nothing if not observant and she knew that the Shambali were incredibly spiritual, to the point of some of their numbers transcending to higher planes. Supposedly, anyways.

She set the empty glass on the bar and leaned back, licking her lips slowly. Where would that bastard even be hiding? Jack wasn’t good at stealth, but he could survive. Anyone could if they had a good enough reason to. She’d have to do some digging, look for any clues that might have had a military background to them. Anything that could tie someone with Jack’s skills to…well, anything really. She just needed an idea, a small, little inkling of where the bastard was hiding. Something. Anything.

“Hey, you that bounty hunter outta Texas?” someone asked.

“Might be,” she replied as she tipped her head to the side. “Depends on who’s askin.”

“Word around town’s that you can track down anyone,” the man grinned as he sat down.

“Might be givin’ me too much credit,” she said. “Lotta people have slipped the net no matter how hard I try. You want a miracle? Go to yer god and ask him to help ya.”

“Might be up yer alley,” the man licked his lips. “Ex-Blackwatch. Got a big bounty on his head.”

“Jesse McCree?” she asked sweetly.

“That’s the bastard.”

Vanessa whipped her pistol out and shoved it under the man’s jaw. She twisted it up, glowering down at the man as he yelped and tried to squirm away.

“You better walk away and pretend you never saw me,” she growled. “Ain’t no one collectin’ that bounty, ya hear?”

The man nodded his head rapidly and she let him go. She spun her pistol back into its holster and watched the man scramble back to his friends.

“Thank you for not makin’ a mess of the bar,” the bartender grumbled.

“No problem, sugar,” she winked at the man in his late sixties. “Another corkscrew?”

“You able to pay fer it?” the man narrowed his eyes.

“Really?” Vanessa gave him a flat look. “Yes, I can. Calm down.”

The man left to make her drink. She rolled her eyes and did her best not to grumble. She dressed very nicely; why did everyone think that she couldn’t pay for anything? Bunch-a pricks. On second thought, it was definitely the dark skin tone. Racist on top of being pricks. _Wünderbar_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a very long chapter this time, sorry about that. But, it does show that Jack is still a good shot regardless of what's in front of him and that Van's been keeping anyone from collecting Jesse's huge ass bounty.


	13. Chapter 13

“Everythin’ you were hopin’ for?” Jesse asked.

Hanzo looked at him with a wide smile on her face. “Yes,” she sighed happily before she looked.

Jesse smiled as he wrapped his arms around Hanzo’s waist. The look of awe on her face at the sight of the huge canyon yawning open in front of them was beautiful. He didn’t think he’d ever seen someone so awestruck at the sight of the Grand Canyon before.

“It’s amazing,” she murmured.

“Wait’ll you see Yellowstone,” Jesse grinned. “You’ll love that too.”

“The natural world is so beautiful,” she murmured. “It’s hard to remember that sometimes.”

Jesse pressed his face into her hair, purring softly. “Ah, Hanzo,” he murmured. “Not hard to remember that the natural world’s beautiful when I got you around.”

“You are so cheesy, _anata_ ,” she laughed. “Come; I want to see more.”

Jesse smiled as she took his hand and continued down the trail. It was nice walking arm in arm with her under the cool shade of the trees. Up here, it was sunbaked and a little dry, but he knew that it cooled down the further down the canyon they got. Hanzo’s blouse was fluttering in the breeze, the ruffles pressing against her chest.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured. “Thought you didn’t like ruffles.”

“I’ve found that they look god on me,” Hanzo smiled.

“I’m glad,” Jesse said. “Not that you like ruffles but that you like how you look in them.”

Hanzo let out a soft laugh before she turned to kiss him. She held his cheek, leaning against him, and sighed happily.

“Thank you, Jesse,” she murmured. “Thank you so much.”

Jesse smiled as he held her close, returning the kisses. This was a wonderful place to be. Out in the world with the best person in his life travelling with him. He’d never thought he’d be this happy to be a tourist in the country he’d been born in.

* * *

 

“Hey I got some…HOLY FUCK, YOU TWO! Put a sock on the door or something!”

Gabriel smirked as she thrust deep into Jack. He gasped beneath her, hiding his face in the pillow as he tightened around her. Sombra stared at them in horror, clearly not at all expecting the smog monster to have a massive cock buried in her mate.

“Mmm, maybe you should learn to knock,” Gabriel replied as she thrust down into Jack again. “Mmm, what do you think, honey?”

“Ah, ah!” Jack moaned, tipping his head back as his insides rippled around her.

“Ew, ew!” Sombra shrieked and slammed the door to the room closed. “You two are disgusting!”

“Gabe,” Jack moaned. “I’m so close.”

“I know, _cariño_ ,” she purred into his ear, keeping her pace slow. “Let me hear that beautiful voice of yours.”

“But Sombra….”

“Let the girl hear you; don’t you want to teach the brat to knock before she barges into a room?” Gabriel teased.

Jack gasped and Gabriel thrust in deep. He moaned, arching his hips as Gabriel continued moving. She nosed her way along his neck, kissing and sucking at his flesh. He panted, whimpering as he started humping the mattress beneath them.

“Cum for me,” Gabriel purred in his ear.

Jack arched into her, moaning happily. His body tightened around her, milking desperately for seed that she didn’t possess. She nosed up into his hair, exhaling happily as he slumped to the bed, whimpering happily.

“Ssh,” she soothed as she slowly drew out of him and let her cock dissolve. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Jack groaned as he rolled onto his back. “Mmm, I love that cock of yours.”

“Just as good as the toy?” she teased.

“Better,” Jack sighed happily and reached up to cup her cheek. “It’s warm.”

Gabriel smiled and kissed down Jack’s arm before she misted her clothing back onto her. She covered Jack up so that he was modest and went to go retrieve Sombra. Little brat was going to be hanging around no matter how much of a fuss she kicked up. If she was smart, she wouldn’t have recorded anything.

“You two are so gross,” Sombra whined as she followed Gabriel back into the room. “Seriously!”

“You should learn to knock,” Gabriel replied as she sat down on the bed and pillowed Jack’s head on her thigh. “Although, I’m surprised you didn’t hear my sunshine screaming. He’s so vocal when he’s getting pegged.”

“Don’t need the auditory image,” Sombra sang as she covered her ears. “That’s so gross. What is wrong with you two?”

“So many wonderful things,” Gabriel chuckled. “Now, what was it that you wanted to talk to us about?”

Sombra shuddered before she walked over to the bed and brought up an image. “Los Muertos is planning on hitting the Lúmerico building in a few nights. Figured you’d find it interesting.”

“Oh?” Gabriel asked as she reached out to bring the image closer. “Any idea what they’re after?”

“Information, mostly,” Sombra shrugged. “Anything to take those bastards down. Would fare better for them if they hadn’t cut me out of their deals.”

“I could always use a full-time hacker,” Gabriel smirked at the young woman before she spread the image out and started pulling out bits of information. “Would help in tracking old Blackwatch agents down faster.”

“You do pay well,” Sombra mused as Gabriel kept searching for more information. “And it’s always nice to put the bastards that killed you in the ground.”

“You care a lot about Gabriel,” Jack murmured as he opened an eye.

“Jealous, _princesa_?” Sombra smirked.

“Curious,” Jack rolled his eyes. “But, if you’re going to act like that, I’m going to assume that you’re just a spoiled little brat that takes pleasure in watching others die.”

“Wow, thanks,” Sombra snorted. “Gabriel Reyes was my hero growing up. I’m sure you can understand my horror when they reported her dead and buried her right in my backyard. And then Reaper shows up on the scene and starts hunting down Overwatch members; wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on.”

“You figured out who Reaper was that fast?” Jack asked.

Gabriel felt him shift miserably against her and gently cupped his cheek. “Ssh, _mi sol_ ,” she soothed. “Sombra can hack any system. Hacking into my personal datapads wasn’t beyond her skill, even when she was a few hundred miles away.”

“Yah,” Sombra smirked. “Wasn’t hard to put two and two together when you find pictures of the Strike Commander in rather compromising positions filling up someone’s tablet.”

“Gabe,” Jack growled.

“I love you,” Gabriel teased as she patted his ass. “And the camera will always love that pretty face of yours.”

“I hate you so much,” Jack whined before he hid his face in her leg. “Can I please delete all of those pictures?”

“No,” Gabriel grinned before she looked at Sombra. “Upload whatever you can to my tablet and I’ll look over the information. I don’t want to be caught off guard if we decide to go in.”

“You got it, boss,” Sombra smirked as she headed for the tablet. “Make sure you give me the heads up before you go in. I want in on the fun.”

“War isn’t a game,” Jack growled.

“This from the guy that was just getting pegged by his girlfriend,” Sombra smirked at him.

“And you walked in on us,” Gabriel shrugged a shoulder. “That’s on you, not us.”

Sombra shot her a glare before she started transferring the information. “I’ll just leave you to it then,” she said as she turned and walked away. “Don’t scream too loud or the neighbours will come to investigate.”

“Let them; they could learn a thing or two,” Gabriel chuckled as she walked her fingers down Jack’s stomach to tease his cock. “All in the positioning, isn’t it, _mi rey_?”

Jack let out a low groan of pleasure and agreement before Gabriel slipped beneath the covers to start sucking him off.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Hanzo's Grand Canyon adventure begins!
> 
> And Sombra learns why it's important to knock on doors with these people.


	14. Chapter 14

“I always wondered what I’d look like as a man,” Gabriel mused as she stood in the washroom.

“You know what some people would tell you, right?” Jack called as he folded his shirts.

“I mean it,” Gabriel laughed. “I’ve always been curious and now I have the means to actually see.”

“Hey, whatever floats your boat,” Jack replied.

He ran a hand down his neck as he groaned. He felt cramped and cooped up. Los Muertos was still looking for him; their narrow escape had left the gangsters pissed off, but confused. They didn’t know where to start looking and, as far as they were concerned, Sombra was still loyal to them. Except she wasn’t.

He really wasn’t sure what to make of the young woman. She seemed to be loyal to Gabriel, but she was just sneaky and manipulative enough for Jack to worry about her selling them out to the highest bidder. If Talon got wind of her price on information, would she let it slip where they were hiding out? If she played her cards right, she didn’t have to implicate herself at all.

“Jack,” Gabriel whined from the bathroom. “Jack, I can’t decide. Beard or no beard?”

“Beard; it’ll keep you from looking like a five-year-old,” he called.

“Oh, fuck you, cornboy,” Gabriel cackled. “You look your age without a beard.”

“That’s because my beard would have been golden blond and looked horrible!” Jack shuddered. “Trust me; there’s a reason my father and I religiously shaved our beards.”

“Think you’d look good with a white one?” she asked.

“Probably look like Santa Clause or something,” Jack shrugged.

“Would you try for your _reina_?” she teased.

“Maybe,” he mused. “But if it looks stupid, I’m shaving it off.”

“Fair enough,” she called. “There,” her voice suddenly dropped and Jack shivered. “Well, _cari_ _ño_ , what do you think?”

“Visor isn’t on,” he replied. “Hang on.”

He heard Gabriel chuckle behind him and shivered. Damn, that voice sounded amazing. Not too deep, but wonderfully musical. The kind of voice that could be listened to for hours just reading a menu. He might ask her to keep that voice when they were making love.

He retrieved his visor and clicked it into place. He waited for the wires to hook up properly to the housing units in his eyes before he turned around. And almost fell onto the bed in shock.

“Holy shit!” he yelped.

“Good?” Gabriel asked as she lounged against the doorframe.

Jack nodded his head rapidly as he stared at his partner’s naked body. It was damn near perfect; thick and muscular without that annoying chiselled look so many guys from SEP strutted around with. She had chosen the perfect goatee to compliment her jaw, the black hairs looking as soft as a brush. Her head was still shaved, but it looked just as good as ever.

“Perfect,” he squeaked.

“Well, at least I know someone appreciates my talents,” Gabriel teased as she walked forward. “And it confirms that you only kept me around for my looks.”

“That’s not true!” Jack pouted before Gabriel straddled his hips. “Hello!”

“I’m teasing,” Gabriel soothed as she kissed him. “You know I love you and I know you love me. Regardless of the body I’m in. Now, how would you like to go a few rounds with a cock this nice?”

She patted the length of hard tissue rubbing against Jack’s stomach and Jack nodded eagerly. She kissed him, slowly pushing him down onto the bed. Jack reached up to run his hands up Gabriel’s muscular shoulders, groaning as a large thumb rolled eagerly over his entrance.

“I want to try something after I’ve loosened you up,” Gabriel purred in his ear. “Something I think you’ll like.”

“If it’s you giving me something, I know I’ll love it,” Jack groaned as Gabriel slowly started kissing down his body. “Gabe.”

“I know, _mi alma_ ,” she cooed as she ran her tongue slowly through the thatch of hair above the base of his cock. “Don’t worry; I’ll make you nice and happy.”

Jack arched his back, panting as Gabriel buried herself between his legs and started kissing and sucking in the sensitive flesh. Her teeth grazed gently over the flesh between his sack and ass and he whimpered. He gasped as her tongue travelled over his entrance and delved inside, the length of muscle much longer than he remembered. His toes curled over her shoulders as he threw his head back.

“Gabe,” he moaned happily.

She hummed against his ass before diving in deeply, swiping her hot tongue against his walls. He bucked and whimpered, tipping his head back as her tongue rubbed against his prostate over and over again. He felt his insides growing slick with specialized saliva, the liquid growing as thick and soft as lube. Gabriel pulled away slowly, kissing her way up his thigh before shifting forward to press the head of her cock against his hole.

He nodded his head, grinning eagerly as Gabriel shifted his body into a more comfortable position. She slid in without any problem, sinking in to the hilt before slowly pulling back out. She leaned forward to cover his chin and mouth with kisses, almost bending him in half to get the angle. Jack loved it; he loved having his mate make love to him like this, to show him that none of his desires were taboo and that Gabriel would do everything she could to make him feel good.

He climaxed twice before Gabriel let his body relax. He felt a little cramped and it hurt to move his legs, but Gabriel started gently massaging his thighs to loosen them up. She hummed as she kissed the thick muscles, smiling at him as she nuzzled up to his knee.

“Ready for the surprise?” she asked as she gently set his leg down.

“Can you give me a hint?” he asked.

“Well,” she smiled and leaned up to kiss him. “I was out scouting the other day and stumbled across some Los Muertos rejects. They were measuring dicks, as most goons do, and I thought, ‘hey, maybe I can take control of one of these idiots and get more information’.”

“Didn’t go according to plan?” Jack asked as Gabriel’s fingers rolled down his cheek.

“Not in the slightest,” she chuckled. “I went all wraith, sidled up to one of them, and slipped under his skin. At first, there was no reaction, but as soon as I tried moving, he started moaning. And moaning, and moaning until he was so hard I could feel it. His friend was freaking out, demanding to know what the hell sort of drug he was on, and as I’m trying to escape, he climaxes.”

“Holy shit,” Jack laughed.

“So, after he climaxes two or three more times, I manage to escape with my dignity intact. His…not so much.”

Jack dropped his head back onto the pillow and laughed. He could picture the stunned looks on the men’s faces as Gabriel fled. How embarrassing for them! And for Gabriel.

“So, you’re going to slip inside of me and make me writhe with pleasure?” Jack asked as he watched Gabriel smile at him.

“If you’re okay with that,” Gabriel replied as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“All for it,” he purred eagerly.

Gabriel smiled and kissed him before dissolving into smoke. Jack shivered as he watched the smoke diffuse into his flesh. He felt something travel along his nerves and he let out a sharp gasp of pleasure. His hips lifted off of the bed and he balled his hands into the sheets. Stars burst in front of his eyes as he felt Gabriel moving around inside of him, brushing gently against his nerve endings, and making his body burst with pleasure.

“Gabe,” he whined and arched his hips higher.

“Too much?” Gabriel’s voice echoed through his mind.

“J-just a little,” he whispered.

Gabriel partially diffused out of his body and slowly ran her hands over his chest. She cooed soothingly to him, leaning forward to kiss him as she slowly pumped him off. He came twice in rapid succession and then slumped against the bed in exhaustion. He whined, arching his hips as he felt Gabriel leave him fully.

“Gabe…that was amazing,” he moaned.

“I’m glad,” she smiled as she settled down beside him and ran her claws through his hair. “I wanted to make you feel good and I have accomplished that mission.”

“Mmm,” he smiled dumbly up at her before snuggling against her big thigh. “And now I need to sleep.”

“Rest well, my love,” Gabriel cooed.

Jack smiled up at her before promptly passing out against her thigh.

* * *

 

“I can’t believe we’re doing this!” Hanzo bounced a little on the spot in excitement.

“Me neither,” Jesse swallowed as he readjusted the helmet.

The tour guide was going over the last minute rules and helping people into the inflatable raft. Hanzo would admit that she was a little weary about getting into something that could so easily be punctured by rocks, but she was too excited to worry about it. She accepted the hand up into the craft and settled down on the edge. Jesse sat behind her and squeezed her hand nervously as paddles were handed to them.

“I can do this,” Jesse swallowed.

“You’ll be fine,” Hanzo soothed as her dragons crawled eagerly under her skin. “Just don’t think too much about it.”

“Says the dragon lady,” Jesse whined as the tour guide shoved the raft into the current. “Oh fuck.”

Hanzo felt her heartrate skyrocket as the raft was pulled out into the churning water. The guide started calling out strokes and she did her best to meet the pace of the other rafters. The first rapid threw the nose of the raft into the air and Hanzo’s stomach went with it. Her hips rolled with the movement, keeping her seated by sheer force of will. Jesse shouted excitedly behind her as the raft was tossed about in the rapids.

The rapids rocked the raft without remorse, although Hanzo knew the rapids were very basic and easily navigable for tourists with no rafting experience. It didn’t stop it from getting her blood pumping and surging through her like lava. She rammed her paddle into the water over and over again, trying to do as the tour guide instructed. The raft pitched and rolled under her, forcing her to use every muscle in her body to remain seated.

They hit one rapid head on and she felt the boat tip under her. Before she had a chance to correct herself, she was overboard. She kept a firm grip on her paddle as she bobbed along the surface, grinning as she was carried past the raft before they reached the even waters. The passengers were laughing, reaching for her as she kicked herself towards the boat.  

“Up you get,” the tour guide grunted as he hauled her over the side. “Have a nice dip in the drink?”

“Very refreshing,” she laughed as she moved her way back to her seat. “Although, I would not recommend it.”

Jesse hugged her as the other paddled them down the river to the next set of rapids. Hanzo turned to kiss his cheek, smiling at him.

“I’m fine,” she reassured him.

“I know,” he sighed as he kissed her forehead. “That doesn’t mean I don’t worry.”

She kissed him again, smirking as she set her paddle back in the water. As they approached the next set of rapids, she spotted something prowling on the riverbank. She tensed, leaning back just enough to get Jesse’s attention. He shifted forward as the raft entered the rapids and bumped his helmet against hers.

“Yah,” he growled. “I see it. What the hell is it doin’ out here?”

Hanzo shook her head. She didn’t know, but if there was a Petras unit walking around, they had to be careful. They were both high-profile ex-Overwatch agents. If the hounds of the UN were out here in the Grand Canyon, there was no one else they could be tracking but them. The only questions left to ask were why and how do they keep from being detected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, my muses for this story are being pains in the ass and refusing to cooperate. Sorry for the wait guys. I suspect that the next chapter's going to take just as long to get out. Sorry.


	15. Chapter 15

Gabriel stood on the rooftop overlooking the Los Muertos dead drop. Sombra had worked her ass off to get them information on where this massive supply drop was being brought. Jack hadn’t wanted to move until they had all the information they could get, but there had been no time. They had taken all the precautions that they could and had a dozen different escape routes already mapped out, just in case. Jack didn’t want to leave anything up to chance.

“LumériCo agents moving into position,” Jack said as he adjusted his binoculars. “Los Muertos looks anxious.”

“Good,” Gabriel chuckled before she took a step forward. She ran her fingers through Jack’s white hair and purred down at him. “Let’s do what we do best, _mi rey_.”

“Right behind you, _mi reina_ ,” Jack said as he stowed his binoculars away and touched his earpiece. “Sombra?”

“Ready when you are,” she replied. “Shutting street lights down in three, two, one.”

Gabriel collapsed into smoke and rushed down the side of the building as the street lights flickered out. The Los Muertos gangsters started spinning on the spot, lifting their weapons up to try to figure out where their attackers were coming from. They knew that if the lights went out, the local vigilantes weren’t far behind. They worked best in the dark, after all.

“La Meurta,” they whispered. “El Soldado.”

Lady Death and The Soldier; good, they were properly scared. There was nothing fun about eliminating goons that weren’t shitting themselves. Jack scaled down the building behind her, landing quietly on his feet before he prowled around the length of the dead drop. The LumériCo agents were backing away, hissing into their earpieces to find out what was going on. Gabriel fluttered in Jack’s wake, slipping through the shadows with ease. She rested a hand on Jack’s shoulder before she rushed the agents and attacked.

Pistols materialized as she did, blasting through the agents before they had a chance to react. Her red dress swept around her as she spun and shot, keeping the agents in her line of sight at all times. This is what she was good at; killing people without them having a chance to react. Once she was done with the agents, she’d help Jack with the gangsters.

She dropped under an arm and lifted her leg. She drove the heel of her stiletto into the agent’s throat, grinning sadistically as he clawed at the ruined flesh. She dissolved into smoke, rushing down into the opening in his body to cook him from the inside out. It was an excruciating process for the poor agent, but she thought it was fitting considering she’d have to feel his arousal the whole time. Maybe not an exactly fair trade, but this man would have laughed at others misery while collecting a fat paycheque. She felt no sympathy for him.

The agent dropped dead to the ground smelling like cooked beef and she rose out of him. She glanced towards Jack to see how he was doing and smirked. He was toying with the gangsters, leading them around in circles while he picked them off one at a time. She licked her lips at the sight, leaning back on her heels as Jack left the gangsters howling in fury.

“Face us like a man!” one gangster shrieked.

“How about like a woman?” Gabriel purred as she collapsed into smoke and raced forward.

She materialized a blade and slammed it into the gangster’s throat. She had a thing for throats today it would seem. She ripped it out and threw the blade as hard as she could towards another man. Jack slammed into her, knocking her to the ground as the last three gangster’s opened fired on them. She dissolved both of them into smoke, coiling her way through the darkness to materialize behind the men.

Jack was quietly sick as the gangsters shouted for them to come out. Gabriel knelt down to rub between Jack’s shoulders, nosing his neck to make sure he was okay. He nodded and fit his facemask back on, shaking his head.

“Let’s finish this,” he said as he locked a new load of helix rockets into his rifle.

“Right behind you,” Gabriel promised as she materialized dual pistols into her hands.

He nodded before charging out from behind the boxes they had taken refuge behind. Gabriel followed, firing at the gangsters to get their attention. They whipped around to fire at them, bunching together to concentrate their fire. Jack twisted and fired off a trio of helix rockets. Gabriel smirked as one of the gangsters swore before the rockets impacted the ground and exploded.

There was nothing left of the men but charred corpses when the smoke cleared. Gabriel snorted and straightened, resting a pistol against her shoulder. A job well done, if she did say so herself. Perhaps a little violent, but that was to be expected from people like them. There wasn’t any mercy left in her for people like this.

“Heads up!” Sombra shouted over the comm. “Los Muertos heading your way.”

Gabriel turned, ready to dissolve into smoke, and caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She let out a sharp whistle and started to lift her pistol towards the source of the movement. She saw a muzzle flash in the darkness and heard the bullet impact flesh and bone. She turned, horrified, as Jack stumbled backwards.

The bullet had entered through his eye socket and blown the back of his head off. He stumbled, blood rushing down his face, and tumbled backwards. Her core turned to ice as she watched the blood pool beneath Jack’s head. She heard bullets ricocheting off the cobblestones around her, but she barely noticed. Jack wasn’t breathing. Jack wasn’t breathing.

A scream tore itself from her throat as she rushed forward. She grabbed Jack around the shoulders and hoisted him up against her chest, cupping the back of his mangled head. She ripped his facemask off and screamed more as she stared into his milky white eye and saw no life behind it. Blood dribbled out past his lips, but it was sluggish and thick.

A chasm opened in her chest as she screamed in denial. She crushed her mate to her chest, screaming and sobbing as she begged whatever powers existed in the world to not take her Jack from her.

* * *

 

Sombra took out the Los Muertos men and stood watching Gabriel scream. She was too scared to approach, scared that Gabriel, in her distress, would blame her for what had happened. She hadn’t known the men were going to be there that fast. If she had, maybe Jack would still be alive.

She swallowed as Gabriel threw her head back and screamed. She started dissolving on the spot, the smoke and ash whipping around her and her fallen mate like a tornado. The scream turned into a furious howl and Sombra crouched down against the roof as the wind picked up. Gabriel must have been beyond reason if she was acting like this.

The black smoke whipped around where Gabriel and Jack were, picking up speed until it almost engulfed the entire plaza. Sombra swallowed, feeling her lungs fight for oxygen as Gabriel’s misery claimed it all. She dug her fingers into the shingles of the roof, grimacing as she was tugged at. She tried to keep an eye on the smoke, wondering when it would be safe to approach.

She blinked, thinking she had gotten hit by something. She was certain that she had seen a speck of white in the middle of the black expanse. Her eyes widened as white tendrils started shooting through the black. She took a deep breath as black and white tangled together and whipped the storm into a fury.

She pressed her head down against the roof and crossed her arms over her head to keep it protected from the high winds.

* * *

 

Hanzo dusted her hands off as she stood up. She’d finally got the fire started while Jesse went and did whatever it was that he thought he needed to do. Scout, maybe? She didn’t blame him; there had been too many Petras Units running up and down the canyon. She wasn’t sure if they were hunting for them, but they were making both of them uncomfortable.

She let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through her hair. This wasn’t right; they hadn’t done anything against the Petras Act. There was nothing illegal about two agents going on a road trip and enjoying themselves in a world that no longer wanted them. They weren’t doing anything related to Overwatch or Blackwatch. They were just out on vacation.

She heard something rustle in the underbrush and stiffened. She shifted, backing up towards where her bow was stored. She heard a soft growl and felt her stomach drop as five Petras Units stepped out of the bushes. She cursed, backing up quickly towards the tent. She stared the Units down, trying to keep all five of them in sight at all time.

One let out a growl and charged. She swore and bolted for the trees. There was no time to grab her bow; they were too close. She needed space to take aim and get the full power of her bow. She knew she was heading for the river, but there was nowhere else for her to go. It was either take the cliff leading down to a rushing river or deal with the savage robotic wolves. She could deal with nature better than those horrible creations.

She came to a stop at the edge of the cliff, gritting her teeth. How fast could she climb down the side of this thing? Probably not fast enough. She let out a growl before she lowered herself over the edge and started sliding down. This was going to get her killed, but that was probably what the Petras Units were going to do to her anyways. Better to have her head dashed on the rocks than torn apart while screaming.

She looked up at the sound of growling. The five units were glaring down at her, red optics narrowed in their white faces. Their mechanical teeth were bared, the saw-like edges scrapping together ominously. One of them snapped their jaws before the leaped down the cliff after her. She swore and spun, sliding down the embankment on her back.

She hit a plateau a few meters wide and stumbled forward, spinning around and putting herself into the best fighting stance she could. She was outnumbered and overpowered, but damn it, she wasn’t going to be killed like an animal. The units touched down in front of her, jaws snapping as they barked orders between themselves in binary. Hanzo set a hand on the handle of one of her knives, ready to take at least one of the bastards down with her.

One unit let out a snarl and charged, red optics blazing. It got two steps and was tackled by two angrily yowling furballs. Hanzo yelped in surprise, staring at the coyotes that were wrestling the Petras Unit to the dirt. They were yowling and snapping their jaws at each other, the Petras Unit managing to dig its teeth into the haunch of one of the coyotes, but it only drove the beasts into a fury. They ripped the unit to shreds, shaking their heads with yowls and barks of anger.

Hanzo stared at the sight in disbelief before more coyotes came barrelling across the plateau and attacked the Petras Units. The beasts outnumbered the mechanical nightmares two to one and each time one of the units fell, the other coyotes ganged up on the remaining units. Hanzo’s brain was sluggish to respond; she should have been running, but she was rooted to the spot.

When the last unit was torn to pieces by nine furious coyotes; one of them was dying on the ground from the gaping wound it had taken to its throat and stomach; the beasts turned towards her. Their golden eyes watched her with an uncanny intelligence that Kita growled was not their own. Her dragons rippled beneath her flesh, unsure of what to do about this turn of events. She could have summoned them, but the force of their passing into the world would have pushed her off the cliff and to her death.

There was a growl overhead and she looked up. An enormous Petras Unit was glaring down at them, red optics narrowed. It leaped down the side of the cliff, weapons whirling to life on its hips. The coyotes brayed furiously, but scattered as they realized that there were guns trained on them. Too smart for their own good.

“Agent Hanzo Shimada,” the Petras Unit snarled as it became level with her, “you are to cease all resistance and allow yourself to be taken into custody. Failure to do so will be met with full authorized force. Comply.”

It sounded terrifyingly similar to Pet, right down to the soft growl underscoring each word. Hanzo shook her head and tightened her grip on her knife.

“I have done nothing to warrant an arrest,” she said.

“Overwatch activity was logged in Deadlock Gorge ten days ago,” the unit snapped. “Inhuman power known as ‘Dragonstrike’ was determined to have been used.”

“I was defending myself!” she snapped.

“It does not matter,” the unit growled. “Hanzo Shimada was not given clearance to use Dragonstrike and will stand trial for her actions. Come quietly and….”

“Awooo!”

Hanzo screamed as the Petras Unit was grabbed violently by the head and slammed repeatedly into the ground. Bits of metal, oil, and fluid flew in all directions as something massive and furry beat the unit into oblivion on the side of the canyon wall. It paused for a moment, lifting the metal monstrosity up to inspect it, before slamming it three more times into the shale. The unit sparked from the remains of its head and let out a pathetic warble.

Hanzo swore and scrambled out of the way as the attacker hoisted the unit into the air and threw it towards her. It smashed into the edge of the plateau and tumbled down the other side, spraying metal and fluid in all directions as it headed for the thin river below.

The furry creature reared onto its hind legs and let out a bray of victory, beating its fists against its huge chest. Hanzo stared at the creature as it settled onto its hind legs and looked at her with eerie yellow eyes. Her first thought was ‘werewolf’ but the features were closer to that of a coyote. Even then, the features were decidedly human beneath the fur and unnervingly familiar.

“You should get back to yer camp,” the creature growled as it started to turn away. “Wouldn’t want the pup to worry about ya.”

“Who…?”

“Call me ‘Coyote’,” the creature chuckled as it paused. It knelt down beside the dead coyote and pressed its muzzle against the fallen creature’s throat. “See you in the afterlife, little brother.”

It threw its head back and brayed before charging off across the plateau. Hanzo stared after it, not believing what she was seeing as the coyotes that had saved her fell into step behind the creature. How was that possible?

“Hanzo!”

She looked up as Jesse came sliding down the side of the canyon. He stumbled towards her and she threw herself into his arms. He squeezed her tightly, pressing his face into her hair as he quietly asked if she was alright. She nodded, trembling against the man that suddenly didn’t seem real in the whirlwind of what had just happened to her.

“What was that thing?” she whispered.

“No idea,” Jesse murmured in her ear. “But we’d better get movin’ before more of those units show up.”

She nodded in agreement and held on tightly to his hand as they started the steep climb back up towards their camp. She hoped she didn’t have to face that creature anytime soon.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, Jack died. Again. I'm on a roll with this poor man, aren't I? >3
> 
> And who is this strange creature that came to Hanzo's aid and left before Jesse caught up? Will we ever know?


	16. Chapter 16

Jesse was white knuckling the handlebars as he drove down the highway. That close encounter with the Petras Units still had him shaking. Hanzo would have been dead if that thing hadn’t showed up. Which only made him even more worried. What had that thing been? Hanzo said it was like a were-coyote or something, but the fact that it was capable of human speech and emotion worried him.

He’d heard of a few reports during his time on the run about a strange creature that sometimes acted on its own but other times fell in with a gang to act as a bodyguard. What was it and why was it all over the Southwest? Why had it stopped to save Hanzo with its weird pack of coyotes? There were so many questions and he didn’t have time to stop and look for answers.

Hanzo tapped his elbow and he turned his head to look at her. She pointed past him towards a small campsite sign on the side of the road. He wanted to keep going, but it was getting late. The last thing he wanted was to be ambushed in the middle of the night. He needed more light if he hoped to hit his mark and he didn’t want to have to rely on the dragons. They tired Hanzo out enough as it was without relying on them constantly to deal with his own handicaps. He nodded to show he’d seen the sign and turned onto the side road.

It was a fair distance in and there was already a family camped out when they arrived. Jesse contemplated driving away, but there was plenty of room for them to pitch a tent for the night away from the family. It should keep them from getting too close for comfort if something went down. The kids came running over as soon as Jesse turned the engine off, laughing and admiring the hoverbike.

“That’s so cool!” one of them shouted. “Can you do tricks on it?”

“Not weighed down, I can’t,” Jesse smiled as he got off the bike and pulled his helmet off. “Honey, can you…?”

Hanzo was already unloading their gear, ignoring the kids as if they weren’t there. Jesse smiled and moved to help her, carrying the heavier items since her arms were already full. The kids followed them, bothering them until their mother called them back to the camper. They got their tent set up just as the mother walked over to talk to them.

“Hello,” she greeted. “The boys were wondering if you wanted to join us for supper.”

“I don’t see why not,” Hanzo said with a smile as she straightened up and dusted her shirt off. “What do you think, honey?”

“Beats cooking for ourselves,” Jesse laughed as he kissed her cheek. “I’m Harold. This is Ichigo.”

Hanzo shot him a look before she extended her hand to the other woman. She introduced herself as Margaret and happily talked about her boys on the way back to her camper.

“Ichigo?” Hanzo hissed as Margaret chattered away. “You just called me ‘strawberry’.”

“And? Not like she knows the difference,” he chuckled.

“Remind me to call you something stupid if I ever have to introduce you to Japanese people,” she growled as she sat down in the chair Margaret’s husband brought her.

Jesse smiled as he pulled up a chair. He talked with Hugo about the latest game, admitting that he hadn’t been keeping up with anything since they’d started their trip. Hugo happily filled him in on everything and Jesse did his best to pretend to be interested. In all honesty, he found football to be extremely boring and baseball wasn’t much better. Hell, he’d been around Jack long enough to appreciate the finer techniques of golf and it was still boring.

“So, where’re you going next?” Hugo asked as he handed a poker to Jesse and stabbed a wiener onto his own.

“Probably swing up towards Yellowstone,” Jesse said. “Want to show my cherry blossom the beauty of the nation.”

Hanzo looked at him and smirked. “Harold, don’t try to use Japanese terms of endearment if you don’t know them,” she teased.

“I try,” Jesse sighed and smiled at Hanzo. “I try to make it feel like home, but I just keep failing.”

“You aren’t failing, honey,” Hanzo shook her head. “You’re just being an adorable ass. I much prefer it when you use those adorable Southern phrases instead.”

Jesse laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. He stuck his poker into the fire and started turning it slowly. Hanzo gave him a weird look and he lifted an eyebrow.

“Have you never cooked hot dogs on an open fire?” he asked.

“Oh, is that what you’re doing?” she asked. “Hand one over.”

“Are you being serious?” he asked softly as he handed a wiener over to her.

“I’ve seen it done on television,” she shrugged. “Never went camping growing up unless it was wilderness survival training.”

“Have you ever had a s’more?” he whispered.

“That’s that graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate thing, right?” she asked as she put her poker into the fire. “I’ve had s’more flavoured treats, but never an authentic s’more.”

Jesse turned to look at Hugo. “Please tell me you have all the trappin’s for a s’more?” he asked.

“I do,” Hugo smirked. “Your cherry blossom want one?”

“After supper,” Hanzo said as she turned the poker slowly. “I wouldn’t want to spoil my appetite.”

Hugo laughed and Jesse smiled at Hanzo. They talked pleasantly about their trip, leaving out the part about the Petras Units, but the kids seemed really interested in the Grand Canyon.

“Did you see the Coyote?” one of them demanded.

“Sam!” Margaret scolded. “We don’t ask the nice people about fairy tales.”

“But he’s real, Mom!” Sam argued. “Jason’s dad saw him in the Grand Canyon last month!”

“What’s the Coyote?” Hanzo asked curiously.

“He’s a giant man-coyote! Like a werewolf, but not as big,” Sam grinned. “He’s really furry and is always followed by this massive pack of coyotes! They say that he used to be an evil man in life, so he was cursed in death to walk the world as a freak.”

“It’s all nonsense,” Margaret sighed. “People have been seeing weird things in the woods for years. It’s probably just a mangy bear that the coyotes are hoping dies soon so they have a nice, big meal.”

“I don’t know,” Hanzo mused. “I think I saw something like that the other day while we were camping.”

“Really?” Sam and his brother stared at her in awe.

Hanzo nodded and leaned forward as she pulled her poker off of the fire. She set it into the offered bun and covered it liberally in ketchup. She took a bite and covered her mouth as hot juice squirted past her lips. She chewed slowly, probably wondering how much she should tell.

“I was just getting the campsite set up,” she said. “Harold was getting more firewood for the fire I had started when I heard something rustling in the underbrush. I’m not an easily frightened woman, but the sound made the hairs on my neck stand up. I was scared, but I couldn’t tell why. Then, the first wolf stepped out of the bushes.

“Now, I know wolves aren’t normally found around here, but they were there. I was scared, but I was terrified as more wolves stepped out from the underbrush. There was nowhere for me to run, but I didn’t want to give them any sort of advantage, so I ran as fast as I could towards the cliffside, hoping to put some distance between us. The wolves must have been very hungry, because they followed me to the cliff and down the other side.

“I was trapped on this narrow plateau only a few meters wide staring at five hungry wolves. I thought for sure that I was dead. Then, as the first wolf started to go for the kill, a pack of coyotes appeared out of nowhere. I should have ran, but I was frozen in disbelief. These skinny little coyotes managed to not only overpower the wolves, but kill them all before the Alpha showed up.

“This Alpha was huge, almost double the size of its packmates. It was angry too; can’t say I’d feel any different if a stranger just got all of my family killed. So it comes charging down the cliff towards me and the coyotes scatter. This wolf prowls back and forth, sizing me up with murder in its eyes. I wasn’t just a meal at that point; I was the enemy. It bared its teeth and charged, but this big hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed it by the head.

“It was just as you explained it; like a big wolfman, but a coyote instead. And they were very strong; they killed the wolf with their bare hands, smashing the Alpha against the ground like a child throwing a hissy fit.”

“What did you do?” Sam whispered.

“Well, screamed when it first showed up, but stood there staring afterwards,” Hanzo smiled.

“It didn’t try to kill you?” Sam’s brother whispered.

“No,” she shook her head. “It looked at me and told me to get back to my campsite before it turned and ran away.”

“Whoa,” the boys stared at them in awe.

Hanzo smirked as she finished her hot dog. “Or, maybe I made the whole thing up as a campfire story,” she said.

The boys shouted in disbelief, staring at her as she put another wiener on her poker and stuck it into the fire. Hugo and Margaret chuckled, looking at each other in amusement. They had appreciated her story as well. It was definitely something that would be told around a campfire.

Jesse jumped a little as he felt his cellphone go off. He excused himself and answered it, pressing it tightly against his ear.

“Hello?”

“Jesse, it’s Van,” his sister replied. “You need to get to L.A as quick as you can.”

“Somethin’ wrong?” Jesse frowned.

“Yes and no,” she sighed. “No because it doesn’t really concern us, but yes because Tom is pissed.”

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Can’t talk over the phone; just get here as soon as you can,” she said.

“Okay,” Jesse sighed and ruffled his hair. “Love you.”

“Love you too, Jesse,” Vanessa said before she hung up.

“Change of plans,” Jesse said as he sat back down and kissed Hanzo’s cheek. “Sis wants us to go visit her.”

“How nice of her,” Hanzo smiled and leaned against him. “Now, I think you owe me a s’more.”

Jesse grinned as Margaret handed the items over to him. Time to blow Hanzo away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of Blackwatch is like a scary campfire story, if you think about it XD and what could Tom have in LA?


	17. Chapter 17

Jesse pulled into the underground parking lot that Vanessa had sent him coordinates for. The building it was attached to would have been impossible for a younger him to ever get access to; sometimes he was still surprised by how far his family had come. He pulled into a spot next to a posh sports car, whistling slowly as he looked the beautiful blue vehicle over. He wanted to know who owned that car and how much he had to pay them for a ride.

Hanzo dismounted before him and pulled her helmet off, pushing her hair out of her face. It was slicked back with sweat and she was quick to wipe it away as if nothing had happened. Vanessa was leaning against a van a short distance from them, watching them with a smirk on her face.

“Howdy,” she greeted as she headed towards them. “Have a nice trip?”

“Wonderful,” Jesse replied as he hugged her close. “What’s going on?”

“Someone’s screwin’ around in one of Tom’s safehouses,” she said as she motioned for them to follow her. “Don’t ask why he has old Blackwatch ones scattered around the city under his control. I try not to think about it too much. Business tycoon and all that.”

Jesse frowned and nodded. Tom had never been part of Blackwatch; why would he keep the L.A safehouses under his thumb? It was a little unsettling. Tom just wasn’t a manipulating type or even that much of a stealthy man. Why would he want them?

Vanessa opened the elevator and they stepped inside. She pushed a key into the floor selection screen and turned it, accessing the topmost numbers that were unlit until the key was inserted. She pressed the topmost button and removed the key. The elevator doors slide closed and it headed upwards. Vanessa leaned against the wall and pushed her hat back on her head, sighing heavily.

“Sorry to interrupt yer trip,” she said. “But this has got Tom on edge. He can explain more once we’re in his office, but no one should have been able to get into those safehouses. No one but other Blackwatch agents and there ain’t any in the area.”

“Maybe someone slipped in?” Hanzo offered.

Vanessa smiled sadly at her. “You don’t know our bother, Hanzo,” she said. “You’ll see.”

The elevator opened at the executive suite and Vanessa swept out into the hallway. She pushed the double doors at the end of the hall open and walked in. Jesse let out a low whistle at the tables full of mechanical do-dads in various stages of completion. Hanzo looked just as amazed, staring around her as they headed for the man pouring over a set of schematics.

“Tom,” Vanessa called. “Jesse’s here.”

“I know,” Tom said as he lifted his head. “I heard him.”

Jesse didn’t have time to warn Hanzo before she flinched backwards in alarm. He had warned her about Tom’s unwanted and irremovable modifications, but there was no preparing yourself for the full reveal. The mechanical pieces in the remains of Tom’s left eye whirled and clicked softly as they adjusted to the change in focus. Tom’s regular brown eye softened as he ran a hand up into his buzzed hair; when had he decided that he liked his hair short? He’d always had a ponytail for as long as Jesse had known him.

“Sorry, was workin’,” he said as he pulled his eyepatch down over his augmented eye. “Thomas McCree, CEO and Lead Tech Manager of WesTech. Pleasure to meet ya.”

“Hanzo Shimada,” Hanzo recovered quickly and extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Thomas.”

“Just call me Tom,” he smiled as he shook her hand. “Yer family. Family doesn’t call me by my full name unless I’m in trouble.”

Hanzo smiled before she motioned towards his workbench. “What are the schematics for?” she asked.

“UN requested an update to their Petras Units,” he rolled his eyes and tapped the blueprint, bringing it up for them to see. “They want a new cog put in to facilitate the transformations easier. Apparently, the first one doesn’t work that good even though I told them to replace the part every sixteen months to keep it from losing its edge.”

“You designed the Petras Units?” Hanzo demanded.

“I assisted in their design; most of my input was thrown out,” Tom said. “Probably for the best considering the damn things are too good at their job.”

“I am torn between wanting to kiss you and wanting to punch you,” Hanzo said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Had a run in with the bots?” Tom smiled sadly.

“I did, but one of them is also the most precious thing in my life,” she said. “My Pet wouldn’t exist without you.”

Tom stared at her for a long time before he shook his head. “Small world,” he chuckled. “But, down to business so you two can get back to your vacation, right?”

Jesse stepped up to the workbench as Tom started typing at the console. A sprawling map of L.A appeared above the workbench before red dots appeared all over the map. Tom slipped something onto his hands and reached up to play with the images. He zoomed in on the city, spinning the streets around as he narrowed down what he wanted to show them.

“There,” he said as he brought up a blue-lined image of an old stone house. “It’s been a safe haven for lots of people hiding from the Petras Act. No one moves in or out of it without my knowledge. I have sensors all over the place, just in case I have to…well, I’m sure you know that Blackwatch was full of moles.”

Jesse and Hanzo nodded. Oh, they knew. They knew better than most. Sometimes he wished he hadn’t been so intimately involved.

“Well,” Tom shook his head, “I took it upon myself to monitor who’s comin’ and goin’. I have a contact, someone lookin’ to…eradicate those that would have tried to kill the people that matter to me. But, the thing is, I lost contact with that individual a few weeks ago shortly after they went on a raid of a local gang down in Mexico. They’ve been here a few times and I know their signature. The signatures in that house…they don’t make any sense.”

“How so?” Jesse asked as he narrowed his eyes and studied the picture.

He must have stopped in at this safehouse a few times during his time in Blackwatch. It looked familiar, but, then again, it looked like every other ramshackle hovel that Gabriel had collected over the years. She had liked buying places that looked like they should have been condemned and turning them into state-of-the-art home away from homes. Hell, this one could have had a whole armory under the stairs and you wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside.

“Well, the signature is like my contact’s,” Tom said. “But…it’s split in two and warped.”

“Split in two?” Hanzo lifted an eyebrow.

“I know it doesn’t make any sense,” Tom sighed and rubbed his face. “Trust me, I didn’t believe what I saw either but there’s no other way to explain it. Here.” He brought up a recording and pointed to the various bits of data on the screen. “This is my contact’s usual biorhythms. Slow heartrate, low body temperature output, normal respiration, and a higher than usual carbon component. Now, look at the signatures that were picked up the other day.”

Jesse frowned as two biorhythms appeared on the screen below the first one. What Tom had said made sense now; it was like the first biorhythm had been split in half. The upper half of the numbers matched the first one, but the lower half matched the other signature. Strange.

“Weird,” Hanzo frowned. “What do you want us to do?”

“We’ll go in together and find out what the hell is going on,” Tom said. “I want Jesse’s gunarm watching my back, but yer dragons might be the edge we need to get the upper hand.”

Jesse and Hanzo shared a look and Hanzo nodded. She was okay with this decision. So long as she was okay with it, so was he. Kita and Minami were her dragons and she had the final say in anything that happened.

“When do we head out?” Jesse asked.

“Dusk,” Tom said. “I have some food set aside for us.”

“I don’t say no to free food,” Jesse grinned.

“Don’t I know it,” Vanessa teased as she walked over to ruffle his hair. “Come on. Lunchroom’s this way.”

* * *

 

Hanzo followed Tom down the road towards the safehouse. Vanessa was up on the roof across from the building, her rifle trained on the windows for any sign of movement. Jesse was half a step behind her, his gun already up and ready. Her bow was heavy on her back, but she was reluctant to use it out in the open like this. Her only targets would be civilians and she was not taking the risk of harming the innocent.

Tom made a quick motion with his hands and Jesse slipped past them to brace his back against the right side of the door. Hanzo slipped her bow off of her shoulders and slipped her arm free of her shirt, tying the sleeve around her waist to keep it out of the way. She nocked an arrow and waited for Vanessa’s signal.

“All clear; good luck,” she said. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

Tom nodded and stepped up to the door. He slipped a key into the lock and opened the door, pushing it inwards. It creaked loudly and Tom ducked down into the dark hallway. He shifted his eyepatch to the side and his augmented eye swept over the hallway, analysing everything as they made their way forward. Hanzo had no idea how many things his eye could do, but the list was starting to get long. She was both impressed and unsettled.

Tom held up a hand and made a quick signal. Their target was just up ahead. Hanzo nodded and slipped her current arrow free of the string and fit a sonar arrow on instead. She fired down the hallway and it sank into the wall, emitting a high pitched signal that Tom’s eye could pick up and paint lifeforms with. He reached up towards his eye and pressed his first two fingers and thumb together. He exhaled and pulled an image from within his augmented eye. He flicked his fingers outwards, slapping the image soundlessly onto the wall.

There were two figures outlined in red on the other side of the wall. They were both bent over something on the table, slowly moving and pointing to different things on the surface. A map? One figure was dressed in a long coat and seemed to be putting all of their weight on their left foot. The other was wearing a large jacket and had their head cradled in his fingers.

Hanzo glanced at Tom before she crept forward. She kept an eye on the images before she slipped into the room. She nocked another arrow and slowly got herself into position. She rose to her full height and pointed the arrow between the intruders.

“Turn around slowly,” she ordered. “And we won’t make this painful for you.”

Both figures tensed before they turned slowly. Hanzo glared at the two of them, wondering why their stances looked so familiar. She whistled and the McCree brothers stepped into the room. The figure in black let out a soft snort and folded their arms over their chest, setting their weight back on their heels. A dark chuckle emitted from behind their bone-white mask.

“Well, isn’t this a welcoming committee?” they asked.

Their voice was distorted, but something about the cadence was familiar. Hanzo looked at Jesse, wondering if he was feeling the same unease that she was. His brown eyes narrowed and he shifted, resting a hand on one of his flashbangs.

The second figure shifted slightly, nudging their heel against the pulse rifle leaning against the table. The teeth-like design on their facemask was a little unsettling, but it was their white hair that kept drawing Hanzo’s attention. The white and gray outfit was tickling at the edges of her memory, telling her that she should know these people.

“We aren’t looking for trouble, not yet,” the second figure growled.

“No one walks into my safehouses without my permission,” Tom growled as he kept his guns trained on both figures.

“Your safehouses?” the first figure laughed. “You don’t look like Blackwatch to me, pup.”

“I keep the safehouses runnin’, therefore, they’re mine,” Tom said.

“Ooh, how sweet of you,” the figure sneered.

The second figure reached out and smacked the other’s elbow, shaking his head. Hanzo felt Minami crawl under her flesh and flexed the fingers on her hand. This was making her uneasy and she didn’t like it. Part of her felt like she was staring at ghosts, but they looked very solid to her.

“Now, I’m going to ask for names and then we’re going to go to my office and get you registered if you want to stay here in the future,” Tom said.

“Reaper,” the second figure growled as they pointed to the black-clad figure. “Soldier: 76.”

“Oh,” Tom blinked and squinted at Reaper. “Well, nice to finally meet you in the flesh, Reaper.”

76? That number sent a jolt down her spine. How many times had she seen that number stitched into Jack Morrison’s jacket? How many times had she pulled it over her shoulders to keep the worst of the cold Nepalese mountain air at bay? But it couldn’t be; it had to be a coincidence.

When had anything concerning Overwatch been a coincidence?

Hanzo straightened up and narrowed her eyes. “Soldier: 76,” she growled, drawing the man’s attention. She glared into the man’s eyes through his visor, clenching a hand into a fist as she stormed forward. “You son of a bitch.”

She punched the man across the face, knocking him back into the table. Reaper started laughing, doubling over and holding their stomach. Soldier: 76 groaned in pain, reaching up to rub at his jaw. She heard Jesse protesting behind her as she grabbed the man by the lapels of his jacket.

“I seem to be blessed with brothers that escape the jaws of death,” she snapped before she dragged the man into a tight hug. “I could kill you for this, Jack Morrison. Do you know how much I missed you?”

“Judging by the face that I’m going to have a decent sized bruise on my face, I’d say a lot,” Jack replied as he returned the hug. “There’s a lot to answer; why don’t we settle down and talk?”

“We can talk after I kick yer ass,” Jesse snarled as he took a step forward.

Reaper grabbed Jesse by the scruff of his shirt and hauled him away, throwing him on the couch and planting their boot in the middle of his chest. He grunted and tried to wiggle away, but Reaper just growled at him.

“Oh, stop your belly-aching, pup,” Reaper huffed before the mask and cowl faded away in wisps of smoke.

Jesse stared up at the figure before he let out a soft whimper. “Gabe?” he whispered. “What…happened?”

“Long story,” Gabriel’s voice said. “Like Jack said, settle down and we’ll talk.”

Hanzo dug her hands into Jack’s jacket and held on tightly as her knees gave out. Jack and Gabriel were both alive. Zenyatta had been right. The commanders were still alive!

But not for much longer if they didn’t have a damn good reason to not get in contact with them!  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thomas McCree; also known as 'Minor Body Horror Boy'. Because that eye is freaky and most people are ridiculously unsettled by it. Even him.
> 
> Hanzo figures things out so quickly. And then punches people. Because everyone punches Jack when they realize that he's been playing dead for the past few years. You can't really blame them.


	18. Chapter 18

Hanzo had been expecting Vanessa to be violent when she saw Jack. Her own first reaction had been violence and, from what Jesse had told her about his sister, Vanessa was a horrible person to see riled up. It was like she had two modes; calm and collected or murderous. She hadn’t expected Vanessa to be so calm when she walked into the room and saw Jack leaning on the table.

“Is it really you?” she had asked, gripping her rifle tightly in her left hand.

“I’m sorry, Vanessa,” Jack had said. “There’s been a lot of time between us.”

“At least you’re alive, you bastard,” Vanessa had said as she holstered her rifle and rushed forward.

She had thrown herself into Jack’s arms, pressing her forehead against his as she let out a sob. Tom had smiled as the two of them embraced tightly, fingers digging into each other’s jackets. Gabriel had been smiling the whole time, sharing an amused look with Jesse. Hanzo had felt a temporary pang of jealousy before she remembered that Jack and Vanessa had known each other a long time and that this was a very typical response between the McCrees and the people they loved.

Vanessa had then gently removed Jack’s facemask and ran her fingers over his scars. Hanzo tensed at the sight of his milky eyes, but that seemed to be the last thing that Vanessa noticed about him. Her fingers moved slowly over his jaw, then his nose, up into his receding hair, and then gently over his eyes.

“You got old,” she’d said.

“Stress will do that to you,” he replied. “Feels like I haven’t slept a day since Zurich, even with Gabriel at my side again.”

“You still don’t know how to fuckin’ relax,” she teased before hugging him again. “Don’t you ever fuckin’ do that to me again, Jack. I’ve lost enough in my life without addin’ you to the list.”

Jack had chuckled as he led her over to the couch where Hanzo, Jesse, and Tom were waiting. Vanessa sat down beside Tom and leaned back on the couch, waiting for Jack and Gabriel to explain themselves. Hanzo was not expecting the answer.

“Wait, Angela experimented on you?” Jesse demanded. “Angie?”

“She’s always been tampering with ways to bring people back from death regardless of how long they’ve been gone,” Gabriel said. “Her research…I think her heart was in the right place. It’s been four years; I try not to hate the girl, but some days are better than others.”

She lifted her mottled hand and watched chunks of blackened flesh flake off. Jack took her hand and squeezed it, perhaps a little tighter than what was needed, but it seemed to help with the dissolving.

“Still, you were decapitated,” Hanzo said. “I was the one that found your body. I saw what happened to you.”

“Would you believe me if I said I know because I was there?” Gabriel asked and shook her head, reaching up to run her talons through her hair. “It’s hard for me to explain sometimes; my soul didn’t move on. It hovered, like it knew I wasn’t supposed to be dead or something. Or maybe it was scared to leave Jack. Either way, I think that’s the only reason that Angela was able to bring me back to life in spite of what had happened to me. My soul was stuffed back into a partially cremated body and I wound up like this; caught somewhere between decaying and regenerating.”

“Partially cremated?” Jesse frowned. “Wait, they were already in the process of getting you ready for burial when they let Angela experiment on you? That means….”

“Angela knew you weren’t dead when we buried you,” Hanzo straightened in horror. “She knew we were burying the wrong people!”

Gabriel nodded her head. “Yes, I believe that is true. We won’t know until we track her down. She’s been quite elusive for someone that is a high-profile doctor.”

“That bitch,” Hanzo growled. “When I get my hands on her…!”

“Get in line,” Gabriel chuckled. “I get first dips on bouncing her head off a table.”

“What about Jack?” Tom asked. “He wasn’t dead when they pulled him out of the wreckage. Why pronounce you dead to the entire world?”

“No idea,” Jack shook his head. “I can tell you that they didn’t heal me for weeks. I was hopped up on a shitton of painkillers to keep me unconscious throughout it all and when I was allowed to move around, it was to get brought before the generals of the UN and told that I was to conform to their ideals.”

“And we all know how much Jack loves taking orders,” Vanessa laughed. “Especially from incompetent jackasses.”

Gabriel chuckled her amusement as she reached out to cup a hand under Jack’s jaw. “My argumentative darling needs some gentle reinforcement,” she teased.

“Yes. Gentle,” Vanessa narrowed her eyes. “Like the three hotel beds you broke on a ‘vacation’?”

Jack’s face turned a lovely shade of red as he looked away. “I forgot about that,” he grumbled.

“I had to hear it from Ana for about a week,” Vanessa growled. “Like I was supposed to control two grown-ass people or somethin’.”

Hanzo chuckled as Gabriel slumped on Jack’s shoulders and nibbled playfully on his ear. Jack huffed and grumbled, but he made no effort to chase Gabriel off. They all chuckled before Jesse leaned forward.

“So, why’re you a decent height all of a sudden, Gabe?” he asked.

“It takes a lot of energy to keep this decomposing body at seven feet,” Gabriel sighed as she put more of her weight on Jack’s shoulders. “Six-one is much more reasonable. And I adopted it for a while because I was mourning and honouring Jack.”

“Wait…you didn’t know the other was alive?” Hanzo stared at them in disbelief.

“Not a clue,” Gabriel shook her head. “It was a terrifying realization when I found out. I almost lost him again.”

“I seem to have this bad habit of getting shot in the head,” Jack sighed and rubbed the side of his head. “I’m lucky Gabriel has my back. I’d be dead by now otherwise.”

Gabriel nuzzled him gently and ran her fingers through his hair. “You are my darling, Jack; I would do anything for you,” she whispered.

Hanzo smiled at the gentle sight. It was comforting to see that they still loved each other so deeply. There was still some hope in the world for romance, it would seem.

“So, what’s the plan?” Vanessa asked.

“Plan?” Jack turned his head towards her.

“You can’t tell me that you came to L.A without a plan,” Vanessa arched an eyebrow. “You always have a plan.”

Jack tilted his head towards Gabriel and she nuzzled his cheek. “We did have a plan,” she said slowly. “We just didn’t expect you all to show up.”

“You’re kidding?” Tom snorted. “You show up in one of the safehouses and don’t expect me to come investigate?”

“True,” Gabriel chuckled before she settled against Jack’s shoulders. “We’re bringing Blackwatch back.”

“Yer kidding?” Jesse stared. “What about the Petras Act? Those damn enforcin’ units’ll kill us!”

“Overwatch has been forbidden,” Jack said. “It doesn’t say anything about Blackwatch.”

Jesse and Hanzo shared a look. Jack was not the kind of person that they thought would handle Blackwatch life very well. He had never been good with secrets and working in the shadows had never been his strong suit. He was better pushing papers or fighting a fair fight.

“Are you sure about this, Jack?” Hanzo asked. “You never took an interest in Blackwatch’s machinations before.”

“Times change,” Jack said with a heavy sigh. “People don’t want Overwatch. Fine. They never had a say in Blackwatch and the world needs an organization working from the shadows to keep the rest of the darkness at bay.”

“Poetic,” Vanessa commented. “And more than a little suicidal. I’m in.”

“Agreed,” Tom nodded his head.

“Hanzo?” Jesse glanced at her.

“I will do what I must for this world, whether it wants my protection or not,” Hanzo said with a firm nod of her head.

“Then it’s settled,” Gabriel chuckled. “We’re bringing Blackwatch back to life. Tom, think you have a list of trustworthy agents to bring back into the fold?”

“I’ll need to run it through you and your favourite specialist first,” Tom nodded. “But I think I know a few that would just at the chance to return to active duty.”

Jack nodded his head as he stared at some point above their heads. “I hope those bastards pray to whatever god they believe in to spare them; I have no mercy left,” he said.

Hanzo’s eyebrows rose, but she stayed silent as Tom and Gabriel started discussing recruitment and data collection. They had to set up a new base of operations, establish a roster, and figure out some way to tempt backers into helping get Blackwatch back on its feet.

* * *

 

“There’s the plane,” Jesse smiled as he watched the landing lights flare to life overhead. “You eager to see yer brother?”

“Yes,” Hanzo sighed as she sat beside him in the rental Tom had secured for them. “It’s been too long.”

Jesse grinned and flicked his cigarillo to the other side of his mouth. He knew that Genji would wait until the last possible second to get across the tarmac to where they were waiting, but he wasn’t sure how good at stealth Pet and Zenyatta were. It was bad enough Gabriel was trying to figure out how to get Reinhardt across the Atlantic without arousing suspicion; he didn’t need to think of two bumbling omnics accidentally setting off the National Guard.

“Bingo,” Jesse said as he pointed through the windshield.

He spotted the flash of Genji’s biolights as he slipped free of the cargobay. Genji ran as fast as ever, easily darting between cover to remain out of sight. He couldn’t see a Petras Unit following him or Zenyatta and hoped they hadn’t been found.

He jumped out of his skin as something thumped on top of the Jeep and rolled down to sit on the hood. A very dazed mechanical bat the size of a Great Dane waved at them before the omnic unfolded from its form. It flopped off of the Jeep’s hood and wiggled into the backseat, hugging Hanzo from behind.

“You can go into recon mode,” Hanzo said as she hugged the omnic in return. “I’m so proud of you, Pet.”

“It took a while and I can’t really fly, but I can glide,” the omnic’s ears flicked happily upwards. “Hello, Jesse McCree; it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“You must be Pet,” Jesse smiled and reached out to ruffle the “fur” on top of her head. “Yer a right cutie.”

“Thanks,” Pet wagged her tail. “We worked really hard to make my faceplates unique so I didn’t look like every other Unit out there.”

“I think we did a great job,” Genji said as he flipped up into the Jeep. “It took a lot of remodelling, but we finally got her a look she likes.”

Hanzo twisted around to hug her brother close, kissing over his cheeks as he chuckled that he was fine. Zenyatta floated into place on Pet’s other side and waved in greeting. He seemed exhausted and sagged against the seat, snoring softly before Jesse had even pulled out onto the freeway. No one talked the whole trip; Genji was clearly suffering from jetlag and Pet was barely staying awake.

Jesse pulled into the parking space set aside for them at the new underground headquarters and turned the car off. Hanzo carried Pet in on her back, chuckling as the young omnic protested being moved. Zenyatta floated tiredly after them, mumbling softly as he held Genji’s hand to keep from getting lost. Jesse led the way down into the bowels of the decommissioned production plant and smirked.

“Everyone, welcome to Watchpoint: L.A,” he said as he pushed the doors to the control room open. “Try not to smudge the paint.”

“Jack!” Genji shouted before he bolted forward and threw himself into Jack’s arms. “I missed you. I hate you. I missed you.”

“Missed you too, _otouto_ ,” Jack murmured as he hugged Genji tightly. “Good to see you. How was the trip?”

“Long,” Genji said. “But we can talk more in the morning. I need sleep.”

“Quarters are through the doors there,” Jack gestured to the doors at the back of the room. “Plonk yourself down on whatever bed you find.”

Genji flashed thumbs up before he trotted back to Hanzo and picked Pet up. She grumbled a meek protest, claiming that she could walk on her own, but she was out cold again before Genji had even started walking. Jack’s blind eyes followed them as they walked past, somehow still as analytical as ever even without his visor on. Jesse knew there was a story behind that, but his bosses hadn’t felt inclined to tell him anything.

Right now, they were all focused on getting Blackwatch operational again. It was almost like old times, but there was the nagging suspicion hanging in the air that if they expanded too fast that they were going to fall under the same troubles as before. No one talked about it, but they all wondered the same thing. Were they going to be betrayed by their own again? Could Gabriel keep Blackwatch from falling apart from the inside because of greedy, self-centered bastards?

He hoped so. He wanted this to work. He was so sick of running and hiding. He wanted to save people again and have a strong network watching his back to bail him out of trouble when he inevitably ran into it. He wanted Blackwatch back and he was eager to get back in the saddle. It was time for them to move through the shadows and put the fear of retribution back into the hearts of the criminal underbelly.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blackwatch is back in action everyone. It might not be as amazing as it once was, but even they will grow in the years to come.
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading! I don't have an ETA for the next part, unfortunately, but it will get up here eventually!


End file.
